SAINTE CATHERINE LABOURÉ

FRANCE, 1830

The Eucharist and

Catherine Labouré was born on

May 2, 1806 to a family of

farmers. On April 21, 1830,

she entered as a novitiate into

the religious order, Daughters of

Charity, in the motherhouse

of Paris near Rue du Bac.

Here in 1830, Catherine had

the famous apparition of the

Immaculate Mary, who told

her, “Have a medal of this style

coined; those who wear it

around their neck will receive

great graces.” During her entire

stay at Rue du Bac, Catherine

also had the grace of seeing

Jesus in the consecrated Host,

at both the moment of Holy

Communion and during the

Exposition of the Holy

Sacrament.

atherine herself described the moment of the

apparition: “While making Eucharistic

Adoration in deep silence, I seemed to hear

a sound coming from the side of the tribune, like

the rustle of a silk dress. I got up and looked and

saw the Holy Virgin. She was of medium build

and indescribably beautiful. A white veil fell from

her head to her feet and rested upon a half-globe.

Her hands, raised to waist level in a natural position,

held another small golden globe with a gold Cross

on top. Her eyes looked beseechingly towards

Heaven. While I was intent on contemplating

her, the Holy Virgin lowered her eyes towards me

and said these words: ‘This globe that you see

represents the entire world, in particular France,

and every single person.’ And the Virgin added,

‘The rays symbolize the graces shed on those who

petition me’, making me understand how sweet it

is to pray to the Holy Virgin and how generous

she is to those who invoke her. And then an

oval frame formed around the figure of the

Holy Virgin, with a semi-circular border of

writing in gold above the right hand of Mary

spelling out: ‘OH MARY, CONCEIVED

WITHOUT SIN, PRAY FOR US WHO

HAVE RECOURSE TO THEE’.

“At this point in the vision, the globe

that Mary had offered to God disappeared;

her hands, full of graces, faced the globe that

she rested her feet upon, stepping on a green

serpent with yellow spots. Suddenly the frame

flipped and I saw the back of the medal showing

the letter ‘M’ for Mary, and the Cross, and

below the monogram there were two hearts;

that of Jesus with the crown of thorns and

that of Mary pierced by a sword. Around it,

like a frame, there was a regal crown of twelve

little stars.

“Then I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Coin a

medal in this style. All those who carry this will

receive graces, especially if they wear the blessed

medal around their neck and recite this short

prayer. They will receive special protection from

the Mother of God and will receive great graces.

The graces will be abundant for those who wear

it with great faith.’”

Statue of Mary as she appeared

to Saint Catherine with the

globe, rays, and the Sacred

Heart of Jesus

Pope John Paul II on a visit

to the chapel in the church of

Rue du Bac in Paris on May 31,

1980

Fresco in the Church of Rue du

Bac showing Catherine with the

Virgin Mary

Image of the Miraculous

Medal

Urn containing the body

of Saint Catherine

Saint Catherine Labouré