A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL

    The story of the Miraculous Medal begins in the village of Fain-les-moutiers in France in on May 2, 1806 with the birth of Catherine, the 16th of 17 children, to the Laboure family, of whom only 11 survived. Catherine was born into a rural but rather well to do family. Her father was of the landed gentry owning quite an estate which was farmed. He managed his business well and the family was not wanting for anything. They were not, however, extravagant even though they had the financial means to be. Monsieur Laboure had studied at the seminary in his younger years but after a period of time came to the conclusion that his vocation was not that of the religious life. He left the seminary and returned to the family estate and took up the family business. Monsieur Laboure was well educated. He remained all his life a very devout Catholic and passed this on to his children. The sole criticism which all of his children had of him, except Catherine, was that he was in general too stern. Indeed it was this characteristic which would cause most of the children to leave home as soon as they had come of age. It is not known if Catherine agreed with her siblings because though her father would do her a grave wrong later on in life, even after her many years of loyalty and devotion to him, she never spoke and ill word of him and when in later years he became infirm, she criticized greatly her sister Louise for not attending to their father in his waning days.

    Catherine's mother was a very pretty woman, kind and tender with her children who could,when necessary, be firm but never harsh. Prior to her marriage to Monsieur Laboure she spent some years teaching school. She like her husband was well read. Although Madame Laboure could be called genteel, and she was, she was not unused to the rigors rural life. Although the Laboure family was well off there was still work to be done. It was Madame Laboure who managed the household which entailed all the cooking, which included not only the family members but also the hired hands, as well as the cleaning the maintenance and the repair. Madame Laboure was devout with a loving tenderness toward her God and his Blessed Mother. She meticulously passed this on to her children by word of mouth, by reading and most of all her example.

    It is interesting to note that although Catherine came from a family that was well educated, where the mother herself was a teacher, and where all of the other children received a formal education, Catherine was the exception to this. She never attended any formal schooling in her younger years and although her mother was fully capable of teaching her at home she never did. This would play an important roll in the events which were to take place later in her life.

    St. Catherine Laboure was known among her family and aquantainces as Zoe. Although the world has come to know her as Catherine almost no one in her village ever called her by that name. She was Zoe Laboure.

    Her early years were not much different than most. At the age of nine her mother died. It was at this point that everything changed for all of the family members. Her father was somewhat overwhelmed by the situation and to ease the difficulty somewhat, Zoe and her sister were sent to live with an aunt. These were happy years for Zoe. It was her sister Louise who took over the management of the household after her mother died and she did so for years. Louise, however, felt called to a religious vocation and for years had wanted to join the Sisters of Charity, the secular order founded by St Louise de Marillac and St. Vincent de Paul. Monsieur Laboure was amenable to Louise's desire for he knew that he could always bring Zoe and the youngest child back home. He felt quite confident that Catherine (Zoe) would be able to manage the household. Indeed she was and did so for thirteen years. At this time Catherine was twelve years old. At this tender age she learned the ins and outs of managing the estate. These were the years of training for her. She would manage the retirement home at Enghien, as a Sister of Charity, for more than 40 years, her life's work.

    It was also during these years that Catherine developed spiritually. She remembered well the tenderness and the piety of her mother. Her father was steadfastly devout in his faith. The village church had Mass daily during the summer months and Catherine would attend daily. However, during the winter months Mass was only to be heard at the chapel of the Convent of Moutiers-Saint Jean of the Sisters of Charity. Zoe would arise at 4:00 a. m. in order to make the hour long trek to the convent in order to hear Mass. She would then return home in order to begin her work day at 6:00 a.m. Catherine persevered in this year after year until she left her home for good. Her younger sister Tonine followed suite and would accompany Catherine on her daily morning pilgrimage. She admired her older sister and wished to emulate her. Across the road from the Laboure house was a chapel and the Blessed Sacrament was always kept in the tabernacle there. This chapel was always known as the Laboure Chapel because it had been constructed by Catherine's grandfather but it was built for the use of the village not just the Laboure family. Catherine would often make visits there taking pauses from work. Catherine also performed her spiritual exercises during the day, her prayers and her rosaries. Heroic devotion indeed; however, the defining moment of young Catherine's life was when she was nine years old, after her mother had died. This event was witnessed by one of the servants who recounted it years later. Catherine was in the parents' bedroom and there was a statue of Our Lady. Catherine climbed up onto the shelf and took the statue in her hands. As she looked at Our Lady with loving, tender eyes she said, "Now, You are my Mother! " The servant never forgot this episode and recounted it in later years.

     Zoe Laboure was the child of the French countryside. She was noted for her practicality and common sense. She was extremely down to earth to a fault, a quality that she exhibited during her entire life. From the age of twelve until twenty two, she managed a family business of large proportions. She saw to the shopping, the provisions, the cooking, the cleaning,the finances and the livestock of an agricultural enterprise which consisted not only of the family but also the entire staff of the estate and she managed this without any formal education. It ran like clockwork. No small feat, indeed!

    This same Zoe Laboure in the presence of all of these worldly labors and concerns still had the presence of mind to cultivate her soul which became entirely open to the will of God, a deliberate use of the grace of God with a single-mindedness of purpose. She never forgot what was most important of all. She never lost sight of her goal.

THE DREAM

    At the age of eighteen Zoe had a very peculiar dream, the meaning of which she would come to know years later. In the dream she found herself in the chapel of the village church assisting at a Mass said by an elderly priest. She had never seen this priest before. Each time the priest would turn around from the altar to say Dominus vobiscum he would look into Zoe's face and hold her gaze. In response to this Zoe would lower her eyes. After Mass the old priest headed for the sacristy and signaled to Zoe to follow him. Zoe became very frightened and ran from the church. She looked over her shoulder and saw the priest still standing there looking at her. As Zoe ran in the dream the thought came to her to visit a sick woman in the village. When she entered the sick woman's house she came face to face with the old priest. She became very frightened. The priest spoke. He said to her, " You do well to visit the sick, my child. You run from me now, but one day you will be glad to come to me. God has plans for you; do not forget it. " Zoe then awoke but was not afraid but rather felt peaceful. The meaning of the dream would only become clear to her years later.

    Catherine knew what her chosen vocation would be. By the time she was 22 years old her sister Tonine was 20. She had brought Tonine along in the business well and Catherine felt that she was now old enough to take over the enterprise. Her father would not be left alone. During the years of her reign in the house of Laboure Catherine and her father had grown close. She was, after all, not only his daughter but also the mistress of the household and for all practical purposes his business partner. He had to consult with Catherine regarding the amount of grain needed to feed the livestock, how many acres would be planted per season and how many draft animals would be needed to do the work, what to market and what to keep, and many many other matters. It was perhaps this closeness that made it bitter for Monsieur Laboure to let his daughter go but does not excuse the act he committed against her. Zoe had expressed on numerous occasions to her father her intention to enter the convent. Monsieur Laboure was adamantly opposed to it. He felt that he had already lost one daughter to the religious life and did not want to lose the daughter he felt he needed so much. Catherine was resolved there was no wavering for her. She knew what she wanted and was going to have it, however, Catherine really did desire the approval of her father, although legally she did not need it; she was of legal age.

    It was exactly at this time that Catherine's elder brother Charles had written a letter to Monsieur Laboure. Charles owned a restaurant in Paris. His wife had recently died and he was in need of help in the restaurant. A plan entered the mind of Monsieur Laboure. Let Catherine go to Paris to work with Charles. She would be exposed to Paris, the gay world, the thrills and frills of life. This would surely turn her mind from this religious nonsense. Aside from this a short separation would ease the tension that he was having with his daughter. The restaurant was really what we would consider today a luncheonette. It was located in one of the rather seamier sections of the Paris of that time. The patrons of this establishment were manual laborers who were rude, crude, and vulgar. The situation turned out to be very difficult for Catherine. She was more miserable than ever and certainly did not care for the so called gay and lighter side of Paris. Charles realized more and more the sufferings of his sister.The Laboure siblings were a close group even if they now lived in different parts of France. Charles conferred with her brothers and it was decided that for the time being she would go to live with her brother Hubert and his wife Jeanne in Chatillon sur Seine.

    The sole problem which Catherine encountered in entering the Convent was her lack of education. She could barely read, always a very peculiar fact, in view of the fact that the parents had been so educated. Her brother Hubert was an officer in the French army, however, his wife ran what would be considered a finishing school of some noteriety for the blooming daughters of well to do French society. Even Monsieur Laboure was enchanted with this idea. It pleased him to think of one of his daughters among the elite.

    Catherine went to live with her brother and his wife. It was there that it was hoped that Catherine could obtain the schooling that she needed. If it was a great plan in the thinking, it was a disaster in the execution. Catherine simply did not fit in. Catherine was a country girl. She was used to the rigors of country life. Furthermore, Catherine had run an estate. She was used to responsibility, and leadership not to the detailed rituals of the French bourgeoisie. There was no substance in that. Furthermore, her spiritual sensibility could not adapt itself to the vanities involved in such a life. The last and final problem was that Catherine simply could not seem to learn. Although very intelligent, try as she might she just did not seem able to master the lessons. After some weeks of such a life it became obvious to her sister-in-law that it simply was not going to work. Jeanne, although well off herself, had a great love of the poor and was known for her charity. One of the focal points of her generosity was the convent of the Sisters of Charity, the Hospice de la Charite. She brought Zoe along with her and it was there that Zoe saw in a picture in the convent the priest of her dream. She asked one of the sisters who the priest in the picture might be. The answer was, " Why it is our father founder St. Vincent de Paul. She told of these events to her confessor who assured her that it was obvious that she was meant to be a Sister of Charity.

     Zoe still desired the approval of her father. Although it was not required she did not wish to live home under a cloud. By this time she had been away from her father's house for more than a year and the old man had now grown used to her absence and also used to Tonine's care. It was Jeanne Laboure, Zoe's sister-in-law who persuaded Monsieur Laboure to give his permission for Zoe to enter the convent, even if reluctantly. He refused however to provide a dowry.

    In order to enter the convent a dowry was required 672 francs, which today would have amounted to approximately $ 125.00. This was a substantial sum at the time and was usually provided by the father of the postulate. Catherine's father refused to provide it despite his wealth. This was a painful blow to Catherine and also a serious obstacle. She had been rejected by the father whom she loved so much and whom she had served so well for years. With this act he cut off his love from her. There was nothing more to be said between the two. Catherine, loving daughter though she was, had a greater love and she would not let herself be denied it. During all the years after this event she was never known to speak a harsh word against him and in fact reprimanded her sister Louise for not caring for him in his final days. Hubert and Jeanne decided that they would provide the 672 francs dowry for Catherine to enter the Convent. Finally after years of waiting Catherine, Zoe, Laboure would be able to enter the Convent of the Sisters of Charity at Chatillon. Her heart's desire was to be fulfilled more then she could ever realize.

    Zoe by this time had made many visits to the Hospice de la Charite in Chatillon and had accompanied the sisters on their rounds. Zoe petitioned the Sister Superior of the convent at Chatillon to accept her as a postulant. Sister Cany, the superior, was hesitant mainly because Zoe could neither read nor write properly despite the time she had spent at her sister-in-laws' school. Zoe however had a friend in the Assistant of the convent, Sister Sejole. This blessed sister was know to have the gift of reading souls and advised Sister Cany to admit Zoe as a postulant. She, Sister Sejole, would teach Zoe all that she would need to know in order to proceed to the Novitiate in the rue du Bac. So, Catherine Laboure was accepted as a postulant of the Sisters of Charity at their convent in Chatillon on January 22, 1830.

    Catherine's postulancy at the convent of Chatillon was a happy time for her. She was finally beginning to realize her goal. Her superiors Sister Cany and Sister Sejole were greatly taken by Catherine's spirituality. It is amazing to note that what she could not learn at the finishing school she learned quite easily with the Sisters. Here was a soul who was already far advanced in the discipline of love, who was already well cultivated. She was of course very used to hard work and the chores which were assigned to her were no problem at all. They were very pleased with her.

    It was the custom that when the candidate finished her postulancy of three months duration that she would proceed to the mother house of the Sisters of Charity located at #140 rue du Bac in Paris where it stands till this day. In the rue du Bac the candidates continued their formation as novices.    

    The Sisters of Charity were established in 1633 by St. Louise de Marillac in cooperation with St. Vincent de Paul who is the father of the Vincentian order of priests. The Vincentians themselves are located around the corner in the Rue de Sevres in Paris. The two complexes in those days were connected by grounds. The Sisters of Charity were established deliberately as a " secular " order, that is to say that they did not follow a rule of the order which required them to be situated within the walls of any one complex or required them strictly to follow a set order of prayer or contemplation as is the usual custom in a "religious order". This is well suited to the purpose and goal of both the Vincentians as well as the Sisters of Charity which is, without reserve, to serve the poor. The following illustration should clarify the difference between a " secular " and " religious " order. If a pair of Sisters of Charity were attending to a poor sick family, caring for them and bringing them food, medicine and prayers, they may well live with that family until their mission is complete. This of course would mean that they would not return to the convent to sleep during their mission as the member of a " religious " order would be obliged to do. They would not be able to join their fellow sisters for morning mass as a community as the member of a " religious " order would be obliged to do. They would not be able to join their fellow sisters for the required communal prayers at set hours as the members of " religious " orders are obliged to do. They would say their prayers on their own if the situation allowed time to do so. Their prime directive is the care of the poor. This is not to indicate that these devoted sisters are mere social workers. They are not. Their first and foremost mission is to bring the love of Christ to the poor. It is for these reasons that the Sisters of Charity and many other such orders in Holy Mother Church are called " secular orders". It was in fact St. Vincent's rule that even daily attendance at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was to bend to the needs of charity. That is to say that if a Sister were in a position where she had to choose between attending Mass and the needs of a poor person, it was St. Vincent's admonition to choose the latter first. This was the atmosphere which Catherine entered into when she joined the Sisters of Charity.

     It was shortly after arriving at the rue du Bac that Catherine began to have some extraordinary experiences. On April 25, 1830 the body of St. Vincent de Paul was to be moved from its resting place in the sisters' chapel in the rue de Bac to the priests'' new church in the rue de Sevres around the corner. In preparation the body was first moved to Notre Dame where it was venerated by all. It was a celebration of immense proportions. The celebration was followed that week by a solemn novena to St. Vincent de Paul. The novena itself was conducted at St. Lazare and afterwards the sisters would return to their own chapel in the rue de Bac. During this time, three consecutive evenings, in the chapel Catherine had visions of the heart of St. Vincent de Paul. The heart would appear in a different color on each evening. On the first evening it was white, on the second it was bright red and on the third it had a dark red hue. She also had visions of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament which would occurred during her entire novitiate. Catherine told all of this to her confessor Fr. Aladel, who basically took all of it in stride and told Catherine to ignore it. This was the beginning of the tug-of-war relationship which would exist for many years between these two servants of God. Catherine, however, could not take in stride what occurred on July 18, 1830 when she was awakened in the dormitory by a small figure. This figure was about the size of a five year old child. The figure in fact was Catherine's Guardian Angel. This was revealed to her. The angel told Catherine to come with him that the Mother of God was waiting for her in the chapel. Catherine had full presence of mind. First of all she was worried that they would wake her fellow sisters and she told the angel so. His reply was to simply tell her to hurry. Secondly, the habit of the Sisters of Charity worn at that time was a rather complicated affair. One would have to have presence of mind to put it on. They both went out into the corridor which was fully illuminated with candle light. As they proceeded Catherine was wondering who had illuminated the hallway. The full import of just what was occurring would not strike her until she arrived in the chapel. Catherine was still worried that some one would find them out. They entered into the chapel which was also fully illuminated. The angel stepped aside. After a brief pause Catherine heard the soft rustle of what sounded like silk on silk and then the Queen of the Universe, the Mother of God and Our Mother appeared to Catherine Laboure in the chapel of the Sisters of Charity in the rue du Bac. We do not know fully what transpired between the two. We only know what has been revealed to us by the record and the record has been determined by what Catherine revealed to her confessor and what she wrote down in later years. Our Mother spoke of things to come and of the future of France and the world. Prophecies were made all of which came true. We do know that Our Blessed Mother did sit in the bourbon colored velvet chair and allowed Catherine Laboure to rest her head on her lap and pour her heart out for two hours. It must be said that, as far as we know, no such privilege has ever been allowed to any other human being, for all the saints that there are none of them recounts any such experience. It is a privilege which was reserved uniquely for Catherine Laboure. If one goes today to the chapel of the Sisters of Charity in the rue du Bac in Paris a replica of the chair is placed where the original stood that night in front of the altar dedicated to St. Vincent de Paul. At the end of the visit the angel led Catherine back through the corridor to the dormitory and tucked her back into bed.

    Father Aladel, Catherine's confessor, was beginning to have his hands full with this young novice, Sister Laboure. What with visions of hearts and of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and now a personal visit from the Mother of God. This was all the beginning.     

    November 27, 1830 is a momentous day in the history of the world. It was on this date that the Mother of God, Our Mother gave to the world the Miraculous Medal. As usual on that day, which was a Saturday, the sister gathered in the chapel for their evening prayers. Catherine was listening to the scriptural reading kneeling in the chapel when she heard again that sound of silk on silk of Our Lady's gown and then the Virgin appeared. Most Catholics are not aware that the visions of the Miraculous Medal actually consist of three phases, three different images. We are used to the image of Our Lady with her hands outstretched which is depicted on the front side of the Miraculous Medal that we wear. We are also familiar with the image which composes the reverse side of the Medal, the M on the cross with the twelve stars and the two hearts. What Catherine saw first, however, has become known as the Virgin of the Globe. This is the image of Our Lady standing on the globe of the world with a golden globe with a cross embedded in it in Her hands. She has Her eyes toward heaven and is offering the globe in Her hands to God. Our Lady's hands were fitted with rings which were full of light that shone down as rays on the globe that she was standing on. Catherine heard a voice:  "The ball which you see represents the whole world, especially France, and each person in particular. These rays symbolize the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls forget to ask."  She spread her hands out wide and the rays continued to fall on the globe below. An oval frame formed around our mother and the words in gold, " O Mary , conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee", formed within the frame. Catherine once again heard the voice: " Have a Medal struck after this model. All who wear it will receive great graces; they should wear it around the neck. Graces will abound for persons who wear it with confidence." The scene then changed and Catherine saw what was to become the reverse side of the miraculous medal: a large M on a bar with the Cross above surrounded by twelve stars and the hearts of Jesus and Mary below. St. Catherine did not just receive these visions once but several times.

    A tug-of-war between Sister Laboure and her confessor was to begin in full from this point on. It has been recounted from the testimony of other sisters resident in the rue du Bac that the exchanges between Sister Laboure and Fr. Aladel in the confessional would often become so loud that the other sisters would have to withdraw a distance from the confessional in order to not overhear what was being said. Father Aladel did not doubt Catherine's sincerity but at the same time he did not put much stock in the so called visions of a novice. The battle between the two would rage on until Fr. Aladel finally submitted and the first Miraculous Medal was struck in 1832. The final word on the matter was to come from the mouth of the Mother of God Herself. Our Lady complained to Catherine regarding the delay in the striking and distribution of the Medal. Catherine recounts, " But my good Mother, you see that he will not believe me." Our Lady's reply was frightfully to the point, " Never mind, he is My servant, and would fear to displease Me." It was these words, reported by Catherine to Fr. Aladel in confession, which worked upon his mind and his will until he finally gave in. Obviously, Our Lady was reminding Fr. Aladel of his ever mindful desire to never offend His Mother and She knew that these words would strike a chord deep within his most devoted heart, echoing his sentiments exactly. It was thus that he came to realize that Our Lady was indeed appearing to this novice!

    The other nightmare of Catherine's life would be the request from Our Lady to have a statue of the Virgin of the Globe sculpted. Despite her efforts all of her life with the different confessors that she had, it was only when she revealed herself to Sister Dufes, in the last year of her life, that Catherine could get anyone to act upon it.

    The distribution of the medals was miraculous in itself. The first set of 2,000 medals was delivered to Fr. Aladel on June 30, 1832 from the engraver M. Vachette. By 1836 Vachette had made several million Miraculous Medals and many other engravers in Paris equaled this number. This in a mere four years. The numbers of favors granted through the devotion of the medal were equally numerous. One of the more famous of these favors was the conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne, a very wealthy entrepreneur who was Jewish and particularly ill disposed towards the Catholic Church. Monsieur Ratisbonne was literally converted in an instant through the Miraculous Medal and went on to become a priest.

THE SAINT OF SILENCE

    Catherine Laboure was a country girl but she was a shrewd country girl. She was well aware as to what the notoriety of the visions would wreak upon her life. She had fought long and hard to obtain the obscurity in which she knew her soul would flourish. She was determined to carry out Our Mother's commands but at the same time to maintain her anonymity. Before revealing the apparitions Catherine did trick Fr. Aladel into promising never to reveal her name as the sister whom the Blessed Mother visited and gave the visions of the Miraculous Medal to. She managed to do this with each subsequent confessor that she had after Fr. Aladel's death. No other human being ever had the privilege of resting on the lap of Mary. Catherine also had other extraordinary favors. It appears that during her entire life St. Catherine Laboure had access to discussion with Our Lady. When asked certain questions by various confessors Catherine would say that she would have to confer with Our Lady regarding the matter. She would then return and give Our Mother's instructions. This also has not been the privilege of any other human being. Catherine Laboure kept her secret for 46 years. She only revealed it at the end of her life to Sister Dufes because she was fearful that she would die and the statue of the Virgin of the Globe would not be sculpted. She did see the plaster cast though not the statue itself; nevertheless, she was sure it would be executed. For 40 years Sister Catherine Laboure took care of the old men of Enghien and old age home set up by the House of Bourbon for its aging servants. She sank into the obscurity in which her soul blossomed. St. Catherine Laboure went to be with Our Mother forever on December 31, 1876. Not even she could have known that this was the beginning of the Marian Age.

NOT QUITE THE END

       On May 28, 1933 Catherine Laboure was beatified. Shortly after this the body was exhumed in order to be moved from Reuilly, where she had been buried, to the rue du Bac. Catherine had died fifty seven years before. The coffin was opened in the presence of the Archbishop of Paris as well as doctors and some government officials. One can well understand the shock that these individuals experienced as the coffin was opened and they found the body of Catherine Laboure to be entirely incorrupt! When one goes to the chapel in the rue du Bac in Paris and peers into the glass encasement beneath the altar of the Virgin of the Globe, one sees the face of Catherine as it was when she was alive.

A WORD OF WARNING

    As most are aware today, there are many false prophets with pretended messages bombarding Christ's followers in an effort to mislead souls or to profit monetarily or both. Among these is a certain individual who appears as a Franciscan priest. He is currently promoting a false prophet who is a middle aged woman and is promulgating "her locutions" pertaining to the Miraculous Medal. These two apostates or heretics, if you will, are encouraging Catholics to buy a "new miraculous medal" with a similarity of the Virgin of the Globe imprinted on it!

    The Miraculous Medal with Our Lady of Grace crushing the serpent's head has already been approved by heaven itself as attested to by millions of miracles which have been attributed to it. God's designs are perfect! Furthermore, St. Catherine herself stated toward the end of her life in reference to someone who wanted to change the design:

"Do Not Touch The Medal!"

    This "priest" has been associated with many false apparitions including falsely proclaiming a Eucharistic miracle in the Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey. He was forthrightly censured and has since left that diocese. His reputation precedes him wherever he goes. This "priest" is also associated with other false apparitions. Unfortunately, today there are so many like this heretic who are looking to mislead souls. We would like to point out that, like him, they are perverting or distorting the only approved apparitions and messages of Our Lady with their own "spin offs". They shrewdly deceive others by incorporating orthodox sacramentals and symbols and by linking the limited Church approved messages of this Marian era with their false messages and phony apparitions! Cleverly, they hope to either appear orthodox themselves through association or to confuse the followers of Christ!

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