The 1st appearance (11 February)

The Cachot where the Soubirous family lived was cold and without firewood. At about 11 o'clock Bernadette and her sister Toinette and her friend Jeanne Abadie went to gather firewood around the Massabielle. Having arrived at the mill, instead of going on into the woods, they came to a river and realized they could go no further, Bernadette's sister and friend prepared to cross the water, soon Bernadette was alone on the other side, so Bernadette decided to try and cross the water without taking her stockings off, this was not possible and she returned back to the Grotto and started taking her stockings off. Bernadette heard a noise and looked towards the Grotto.  Bernadette raised her head to look at the grotto again, after hearing the noise for a second time, she saw a lady dressed in white with a blue sash and a yellow roses on each foot. Bernadette took out her rosary and wanted to make the sign of the cross, but was unable to her, hand trembled. The lady she was seeing made the sign of the cross and the second time Bernadette manage to repeat the same actions of the lady who was dressed in white. Bernadette recited the the rosary and then the lady disappeared.

This was Bernadette's first apparition.

On realizing that she alone had seen the apparition, and not her sister or friend, she asked them not to tell a soul what she had seen. Toinette, was unable to keep a secret, and told their mother Louise Soubirous. Bernadette mother questioned her and forbid her to return to the Grotto again.