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Key figures

Origin and history

The abbey of Saint-Gildard de Nevers finds its origins in a priory attested at the end of the seventh or early eighth century, originally dedicated to Saint Loup (probably Loup de Troyes), then associated with Saint Gildard, a priest venerated for his miracles. Located on a hill near Nevers, this priory, in ruins in the nineteenth century, was chosen by Bishop Dominique-Augustin Dufetre to establish there the mother house of the Sisters of Charity of Nevers, whose new buildings were blessed in 1856. The site became a major spiritual center, linked to the history of Bernadette Soubirous, who arrived in 1866 after his apparitions in Lourdes.

Bernadette Soubirous, born in 1844, joined the Sisters of Charity of Nevers at the age of 22 and lived there until his death in 1879. His body, exhumed intact in 1925 during his beatification, was placed in a glass and bronze frame in the Chapel of the Sacred Heart. A cave inspired by Massabielle was erected in 1884, with a stone brought back from Lourdes, while a museum opened in 1958 traces his life. The site, transformed into a place of welcome for pilgrims after the closure of the novitiate around 1970, preserves gardens where Bernadette loved to gather, especially in front of the statue Notre-Dame-des-Eaux.

The Bernadette-Soubirous-Nevers space, formerly Saint-Gildard Abbey, now gathers several symbolic places: the Saint-Joseph chapel where Bernadette was first buried, the shawl sheltering her body in the chapel of the Sacred Heart, and a central statue of Brother Marie-Bernard (Louis Richomme). The pediment of the main building bears the inscription Deus Charitas Est ("God is charity"), reflecting the charitable vocation of the Sisters. This site, both historical and spiritual, attracts the faithful who come to honour the memory of Saint Bernadette and discover his heritage in the congregation.

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