On 22 September 1909 Church representatives and
officials, entered the convent Chapel and took an oath
upon the Holy Bible to tell the truth.
Then the tomb was opened and the body exhumed.
Bernadette appeared exactly as she had been on the
day of her death. In her hands she held a Rosary, which
was rusting, and a Crucifix, which was covered in
verdigris. The body was completely intact.
There was no smell and no trace of corruption was
seen on the little body in the coffin. Doctor Jourdan, the
surgeon who was present for the exhumation, has left a
written record in the Community archives describing what
occurred - "The coffin was opened in the presence of the
Bishop of Nevers, the mayors of the town and several
canons. No smell was noticed. The body was clothed in
the habit of Bernadette's order. The habit was damp.
Only the face, hands and forearms were uncovered."
"The head was tilted to the left. The face was dull white.
The mouth was open slightly and it could be seen that
the teeth were still in place. The hands, which were
crossed upon the breast, were perfectly preserved, as
were the nails. The hands still held a rusting Rosary. The
veins on the forearms stood out."
After the identification, the Sisters washed the body
and dressed it in a fresh habit. It was then placed in a
new coffin lined with white silk, and lowered back into the
tomb. The entire process was completed at half past five
in the evening.
On 13 August 1913, Pope Pius X authorised the
introduction of the Cause for Canonisation - Bernadette
could now be given the title 'Venerable'. This meant that
body had to be exhumed once again. This process was
interrupted by the war, and the body was not re-exhumed
until 3 April 1919. The process was the same as before -
as were the results. The body remained intact.
On 18 November 1923, the Holy Father announced the
authenticity of Bernadette's virtues - her beatification
could now proceed.
Consequently, a third exhumation was needed. This
time, relics were to be taken from the body - these would
then be sent to Rome, to Lourdes and to Houses of the
Sisters of Nevers throughout the world.
On 18 April 1925, the exhumation took place. Bernadette
had been dead more than forty six years. Yet, her body
remained incorrupt. Doctor Talon, a surgeon, removed
the relics. Three years later he wrote a report about this
exhumation, for a medical journal. In it, he described his
amazement at the perfect preservation of the skeleton
and the muscles in particular, as well as the liver which -
he stated - should have deteriorated entirely very soon
after death. he concluded that "this did not seem to be a
natural phenomenon". At this exhumation, it was noted
that a small portion of the skin on the face had
discoloured slightly, due probably to the washing the
body had received and its exposure to the organisms of
the air. Consequently, it was decided to cover the face
and hands with light wax masks. The firm of Pierre Imans
in Paris was contacted, and they agreed to make the
necessary masks. Also, the Armand Catelan workshop in
Lyons had been contacted and they would make a
beautiful reliquary for the body.