The Miraculous Medal
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

St. Catherine Laboure' was given the mission of having the Miraculous Medal made by the Blessed Virgin on November 27, 1830 at 5:30 in the evening. St. Catherine saw the Blessed Virgin standing on a globe, in a soft white gown, wearing a veil that fell gracefully to her feet. In her hands the Blessed Virgin held a golden ball, and there were rings on her fingers. From the jewels of the rings flashed rays of light. The rays were so brilliant that St. Catherine could no longer see the Blessed Virgins' feet. A voice told St. Catherine that "the rays symbolize the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The gems from which the rays do not fall are the graces for which souls forget to ask." Suddenly the golden ball vanished from the Blessed Virgins hands and she opened her arms in a gesture of love. An oval frame took shape around her and written on the frame in letters of gold were the words "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

When the medal was turned in front of St. Catherine, she saw the back which contained a large "M" in the center. Above the "M" was a bar with a cross. Below the "M" were the hearts of Jesus, crowned with thorns, and the heart of Mary, pierced by a sword. Encircling the "M" were twelve stars, thought to represent the twelve apostles.

St. Catherine told her confessor, Fr. Jean Marie Aladel about her vision. He was skeptical and bid her ask the Blessed Virgin whether there should be any writing on the back of the medal. St. Catherine did as she was asked, and the Blessed Virgin replied that the "M" and the two hearts were enough.

It was not until the year 1832 that the medals were finally made. When they were distributed among the people, they were readily accepted and cherished by millions.

Miracles began to be attributed to the medal almost immediately. St. Catherine witnessed the wonders and miracles wrought through the Medal during the 46 years she was alive after it was created, conversions, restoration of health, dangers averted, all the while keeping the secret of her receiving the vision. She did not reveal her secret until 1876, the year of her death that she was the "favored" sister who had received the vision.

 Who is St. Catherine Laboure ?
A Short Biography

This future saint and ardent devotee of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary was born at Fain-les-Moutiers, in the Diocese of Dijon, France on May 2, 1806 A.D.. She was baptised promptly the next day. Her mother died when she was just 10 years of age, and the sorrow of her passing was the occasion for St. Catherine to take the Blessed Virgin Mary as her mother.
She lived a pious life and spent much time caring for her father's household: a task to which she took with prudence and great self-control. Despite the work, she always found time to spend long hours in mental prayer in a nearby chapel, and this perseverance and devotion lead her swiftly along the path of holiness.
She had some difficulty being allowed to pursue a religious vocation, but as she trusted in the God who called her to Himself, the problems only served to lead her to the place God had chosen in the beginning.
After entering the Daughters of Charity, founded by St. Vincent de Paul, she was a novice of but four days when her community at Rue de Bac, in Paris, celebrated the translation of the relics of St. Vincent. During the novena in preparation for the feast, St. Catherine had visions of St. Vincent's heart, through which she was given infused knowledge regarding the future of France and the demise of the royal family.
A little over a month later, on Sunday, June 6, 1830, Jesus Christ appeared to her vested as a king during the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. During the proclamation of the Gospel, His royal regalia fell to the ground, presaging the end of the Christian monarchy in France. During her novitiate St. Catherine also was granted the grace to see Our Lord every time she entered the chapel for the space of nine months. That she remained unnoticed and humble throughout it all is surely a great miracle of grace.
On July 18 and November 27, 1830, she was visited by the Blessed Virgin Mary and given the mission to reveal the Miraculous Medal to the world. By means of faith in Mary's Immaculate Conception and Maternal Mediation, occasioned by this Medal, Our Lady promised many graces and cures.
The Life of St. Catherine after the Apparitions
St. Catherine faithfully made known and obeyed her spiritual director and confessor, keeping the secret of these revelations for the entirety of her life. The first medals were struck with the permission of the Archbishop of Paris in 1832. The apparitions to St. Catherine were approved by the Church in 1836. Only after death did the members of her community know that it was she who had seen Our Lady and received the Miraculous Medal. During those years more than a million medals were struck and distributed. Conversions and miraculous healings were the results.
St. Catherine spent the rest of her life serving recovered alcoholics and poor men at the Hospice d'Enghien, in Paris; survived the communist uprising in Paris in 1870; and died a peaceful death on December 31, 1876. She was beatified on May 28, 1933 and canonized in 1947 by Venerable Pope Pius XII.
The next time you visit Paris, France, make it a point to stop at Rue du Bac and visit the site of the Apparitions, as well as St. Catherine's tomb. Her body is remarkable for being incorrupt to this day; in fact her eyes are as blue now, as they were in 1876.
St. Catherine Labouré's feast day is November 28, the day after the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

HOW ST. CATHERINE PRAYED

" When I go to the Chapel I place myself before the good God and I say to Him: 'Lord, here I am, give me what you will.' If he gives me something, I am very pleased and I thank Him. If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him because I do not deserve anything. And then again, I tell Him all that passes through my mind; I recount my pains and my joys and...I listen. If you listen to Him, He will speak to you also, because with the good God it is necessary to speak and to listen. He will always speak to you if you go to Him simply and sincerely."



You can get more information about the Miraculous Medal from the Central Association of the Miraculous Medal by writing to the following address:

The Central Association of the Miraculous Medal
475 E. Chelten Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19144-5785
and  visit:
http://www.cammonline.org/
or
http://www.amm.org/index.htm