Holy relics make stop at Linville's Saint Bernadette Roman Catholic Church

LINVILLE – Visitors came from near and far to bear witness to relics of Saint Bernadette in Linville, one of the many stops on the relic’s national five-month tour. The relics of Saint Bernadette stopped for a three-day period at the church that bears the saint’s namesake.

Saint Bernadette, the teenage saint, witnessed 18 apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the grotto in village of Lourdes, France in the 19th century. The Massabielle Grotto, home to the miraculous waters where Bernadette encountered Mary, is a pilgrimage destination for Catholics, non-Catholics and especially those with illness and disabilities who wish to heal themselves in the holy waters.

After her death in 1925, the body of Saint Bernadette was exhumed so that relics could be retrieved. The vast majority of her body remains incorrupt in Nevers, France, yet portions of bone, flesh and hair are confined in the exquisitely crafted reliquary Maison Granda, born of Spanish priest and artist Don Felix Granda Buylla.

Saint Bernadette’s Catholic Church in Linville became home for the relics from May 9 to 11, available for public veneration and prayer.

“Sometimes we think we are choosing Saints when really the Saints choose us, and Bernadette has chosen a lot of people. She is very influential in people’s lives,” said Father Christopher Bond of the Linville house of worship.

Bond noted the marvel of her incorrupt body in France, saying it is a miracle among itself, adding her representation of heaven with promise and hope.

“This is a particular kind of grace. The fact that she came here, it’s a wonderful day. Just a beautiful experience,” said Bond.

On top of the momentous occasion of having the holy relic within the county, it is also the 50th anniversary of Saint Bernadette’s Catholic Church being in the Diocese of Charlotte.

While taking a pilgrimage to France may not be practical for most individuals, driving across state lines is feasible. Visitors from all over the region came to Linville to endorse the relic and anoint themselves with water from Lourdes. With the closest stop on the tour being Greenwood, SC and the next stop being Baltimore, Md., it may be the only opportunity for High Country individuals to view the holy relic.

One important visitor to the event was Megan Bean, a living testimonial to the holy and healing waters of Lourdes. Her account denotes that after five years of paralysis, blood clotting and a litany of other health concerns, Bean was accepted on pilgrimage and transported to Lourdes, France and bathed in the miraculous waters. When she emerged Bean encountered an “instantaneous healing” and has never needed a wheelchair or movement device again.

While Bean’s account is well documented online in publications such as the Catholic News Herald and remains unexplained by various doctors, her experience has been scrutinized since 2013 and can take anywhere from 15 to 20 years before obtaining the total miraculous designation.

With the relic stationed adjacent to the altar, presentations, prayers, mass, lectures, candlelit rosary processional, fellowship and food trucks offered an all-inclusive conjuncture for Linville guests. Seminary students from Saint Joseph’s College in Charlotte also attended the veneration and mass at Saint Bernadette’s, showcasing the devoted youth in the Diocese.

The well-organized event had much help from Catholic volunteers in the region. Eileen Haythorn, a parishioner of Saint Lucien in Spruce Pine, volunteered for all three days of the relic’s visit.

“We are very fortunate to have her here. It is a very special experience,” said Haythorn.

Bernadette’s journey will continue throughout the nation and end her tour on August 3 in Granada Hills, Calif.