St. Catherine Laboure's humility was so great that no one except for her confessor, knew that she was the visionary behind the Miraculous Medal until after her death when she became an incorruptible. And many, even in her own convent, were shocked to find that this humble and quiet nun was responsible for the stir which had been caused by this revelation.
The Manifestation of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
The story of the Miraculous Medal is unique and interesting. On the night of July 18 and July 19, 1830, the now-canonized Catherine Laboure woke in the middle of the night in the convent of the Daughters of Charity in Paris. The little girl, whom many have discerned may have been a guardian angel of Catherine’s, led Catherine silently in the night to the chapel where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared as the Lady of Grace.
Upon her head was a blue veil, a white undergarment below it. Her hands were outstretched towards the world. On her fingers were many beautiful rings. Some of the rings shone with splendid glory, while others were quite dim. When Catherine asked the meaning of this, the Blessed Lady told her that the rings represented the graces which humankind could ask of her. Those well lit were graces asked for often, while those which were dim were graces people forgot to ask for.
In this first apparition of what would be many, the Blessed Virgin Mary entrusted Catherine with an important mission, the devotion to the Miraculous Medal.
The Message of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
Catherine Laboure saw the image of Mary standing on the world and crushing the serpent beneath her feet. Another image showed the cross underscored by a bar and an ‘M’ for Mary. The Sacred and Immaculate hearts of Jesus and Mary are below. On the front of the medal contains the message: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
The Blessed Virgin told Catherine to “Have a medal struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around their neck.”
After the medal was distributed, so many miracles of conversion and healing occurred that it became known as "The Miraculous Medal.”
Other apparitions of great interest include Our Lady of the Americas and Our Lady of the Pillar.
Sources:
- Those who Saw Her: Apparitions of Mary, by Catherine M. Odell.
- Catherine Laboure and the Modern Apparitions of Our Lady, by Abbe Omer Englebert.
- Miraculous Images: Photographs Containing God's Fingerprints, by Marilynn Hughes.
- Medjugorje: Light for the World, by Pietro Jacopini.
- Our Lady Comes to Garabandal, by Joseph A. Pelletier, A.A.
- The Wonder of Guadalupe, by Francis Johnston.
- The Glories of Czestochowa and Jasna, To the Priests Our Lady's Beloved Sons, by Marian Movement of Priests.
- Our Lady of America, by Sister Mildred Mary Neuzil.
- The Thunder of Justice, by Ted and Maureen Flynn.
