Miraculous Medal of Our Blessed Mother

Story of the Miraculous Medal

Heaven descended to earth…From July to December 1830 Sister Catherine, a young novice of the Daughters of Charity, received the extraordinary favor of conversing on three occasions with the Virgin Mary. In the preceding months Catherine was honored with other apparitions.

Saint Vincent de Paul showed her his heart. While at prayer in the chapel, Catherine saw, on three successive days, the heart of Saint Vincent in three different colors. The heart appeared white, the color of peace; then red, the color of fire; and then black, an indication of the misfortunes that would come upon France and Paris in particular.

Shortly after, Catherine saw Christ present in the Sacred Host. “I saw Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament all the time of my seminary except the times when I doubted” On June 6, 1830, feast of the Holy Trinity, Christ appeared as a crucified King, stripped of all his adornments.

On July 18, 1830, the eve of the feast of Saint Vincent de Paul, whom she loved so much, and whose heart she had seen overflowing with love, St. Catherine prayed to him, so that her desire to see the Blessed Virgin be heard at last. At 11 p.m. that night she heard her name called. A mysterious child is at the foot of her bed and asks her to get up “The Blessed Virgin is waiting for you,” he said. St. Catherine dressed and followed the child radiating rays of light wherever he went.

Having arrived in the chapel, St. Catherine stopped near the chair, used by the priest in the sanctuary. She then heard a sound similar to the swish of a silk dress. “Look, here is the Blessed Virgin,” said her small guide. She showed reluctance to believe. But the child repeated in a stronger tone of voice. “Here is the Blessed Virgin.” Catherine hurried to the knees of the Blessed Virgin who was sitting on a chair. “I then bounded to the steps of the altar, knelt and let my hands rest on the knees of the Blessed Virgin. There I spent the most pleasant time of my life.

It would be impossible for me to describe what I experienced. The Blessed Virgin told me how I should conduct myself with regard to my confessor and many other things.” Catherine received a mission, a
request to have a Confraternity of the children of Mary established. Father Aladel would accomplish this request on February 2, 1840.
The Apparition of November 27th

On November 27 1830 at 5:30 pm, during meditation, St. Catherine saw at the present location of the Virgin of the Globe a picture of the Blessed Virgin.

Standing on a half-globe holding in her hands a small golden globe: her feet crushing a serpent. Coming from the open hands of the Blessed Virgin were beautiful rays of light and at that same moment St. Catherine heard a voice saying:

“These rays are symbols of graces that Mary obtains for people.” Then an oval formed around the apparition and Catherine saw emblazoned in a semi-circle this invocation, until then unknown:

“O Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to you” written in gold letters. Then the picture turned and St. Catherine saw on the reverse side: the letter M surmounted with a little cross and below it the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Catherine then heard these words:

“Have a medal made on this model. Those who will wear it with confidence will receive great graces.”

A Farewell to the Apparitions

In the month of December 1830, during meditation, Catherine again heard the rustling sound, this time behind the altar. The same image of the medal was present near the tabernacle, slightly to the back of it.

“These rays are the symbol of the graces that the Blessed Virgin obtains for those who ask them of her”.

Catherine communicated again these requests from the Blessed Virgin to Father Aladel, her confessor. He was not receptive to the message and forbade her to think about it. She was severely shocked.

On January 30 1831, Catherine finished her novitiate and received the habit of the Daughters of Charity. The next day she left rue du Bac for the Hospice of Enghien, which was established by the Orleans family and located at 12 rue de Picpus at Reuilly, in a poverty-stricken area on the east side of Paris, where she would serve the poor throughout 46 years quietly and unknown.