Miraculous Medal

Coordinates: 48.850974°N 2.323770°E

The Miraculous Medal (French: Médaille miraculeuse),

also known as the Medal of Our Lady of Graces, is a
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
devotional medal, the design of which was originated by
Catherine Labouré following her apparitions of the
Blessed Virgin Mary[2] in the Chapel of Our Lady of the
Miraculous Medal of Paris, France.

The medal, which is a sacramental was made by the

goldsmith Adrien Vachette.[3] According to the teaching
of the Roman Catholic Church, sacramentals,[4] by the
Church's prayer, prepare the faithful to receive grace and
dispose them to cooperate with it.[5]
The Miraculous Medal design was executed by
Background Adrien Vachette based on Saint Catherine Labouré's
visions.
Catherine Labouré stated that on 18 July 1830, the eve of
Location Paris, France
the feast of Saint Vincent de Paul, she woke up after
hearing the voice of a child calling her to the chapel, Date 18 July 1830
where she heard the Virgin Mary say to her, "God wishes 27 November 1830
to charge you with a mission. You will be contradicted,
Witness Saint Catherine Labouré
but do not fear; you will have the grace to do what is
necessary. Tell your spiritual director all that passes Type Marian apparition
within you. Times are evil in France and in the world."[6] Approval 1836[1]
Archbishop Hyacinthe-Louis de
On 27 November 1830, Catherine reported that the
Quélen
Virgin Mary returned during evening meditations. She
Archdiocese of Paris
displayed herself inside an oval frame, standing upon a
globe. She wore many rings set with gems[7] that shone Venerated Catholic Church
rays of light over the globe. Around the margin of the in
frame appeared the words Ô Marie, conçue sans péché, Shrine Chapel of Our Lady of the
priez pour nous qui avons recours à vous ("O Mary, Miraculous Medal, Paris,
conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to
France
thee").
Patronage Special graces, miracles of
As Catherine watched, the frame seemed to rotate, healing, conversions, believers
showing a circle of twelve stars, a large letter M
surmounted by a cross, and the stylized Sacred Heart of Jesus crowned with thorns and the Immaculate
Heart of Mary pierced with a sword. Asked why some of the gems did not shed light, Mary reportedly
replied, "Those are the graces for which people forget to ask". Sister Catherine then heard the Virgin Mary
ask her to take these images to her confessor, telling him that they should be put on medallions, and saying
"All who wear them will receive great graces".[8]

Sister Catherine did so, and after two years of investigation and observation of Catherine's ordinary daily
behavior, the priest took the information to his archbishop without revealing Catherine's identity. The
request was approved and medallions were designed and produced through the goldsmith Adrien
Vachette.[9][10]

The chapel in which Saint Catherine experienced her

visions is located at the mother house of the Daughters
of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul in Rue du Bac,
Paris.[11] The incorrupt bodies of Saint Catherine
Labouré and Saint Louise de Marillac, a co-founder of
the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity of Saint
Vincent de Paul, are interred in the chapel, which
continues to receive daily visits from Catholic pilgrims
today.
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
Pope John Paul II used a slight variation of the reverse in Paris
image as his coat of arms, the Marian Cross, a plain
cross with an M underneath the right-hand bar (which
signified the Blessed Virgin at the foot of the Cross when Jesus was being
crucified).

Properties of the medal

Front side:

Mary stands on the earth, crushing a serpent beneath her feet.

Describing the original vision, Catherine said Mary appeared
radiant as a sunrise, "in all her perfect beauty".[12]
Rays shine forth from Mary's hands. She told Catherine these
"symbolize the graces I shed upon those who ask for them".[12]
Words from the vision, originally in French, form an oval frame
around the image: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us
who have recourse to thee".[13] Saint Catherine Labouré

Reverse side:

A cross-and-bar surmount a large, bold letter M

Twelve stars mark the perimeter
Two hearts are depicted underneath the M, the left encircled with a crown of thorns, the right
pierced by a sword. From each, a flame emanates from the top.[14]

The 2004 Enchiridion Indulgentiarum grants the partial indulgence to the faithfuls of Christ who use a
crucifix or cross, a crown, a scapular, a medal blessed by a priest.[15]

Symbolism
The elements of the design encapsulate major Marian teachings that have been declared doctrine by the
Catholic Church.

Front side:

Mother – her open arms, the "recourse" the faithful have in her
Immaculate – the words, "conceived without sin"
 Assumed into Heaven – she stands on the globe, Queen of Heaven and Earth
Mediatrix – rays from her hands symbolizing graces
Protectrix – crushes the serpent underfoot to proclaim that Satan and all his followers are
helpless before her[16] (Genesis 3:15).

Reverse side:

The large letter "M" for Mary

Cross and bar – Jesus Christs' cross of redemption for mankind. The interlacing of the M and
the cross shows Mary's close involvement with her son.
12 stars – the twelve apostles and the vision of Saint John in Revelation 12:1: "And a great
sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and
on her head a crown of twelve stars."
Left heart – the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Who died for the sins of mankind
Right heart – the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who intercedes for sinners
Flames above both hearts – the burning love both Jesus and Mary have for all people

See also
Marian Cross

Notes
1. Dirvin, Fr. Joseph. "Saint Catherine Laboure of the Miraculous Medal" (https://www.ewtn.co
m/catholicism/library/saint-catherine-laboure-of-the-miraculous-medal-5307). EWTN.
"Archbishop de Quelen [decided] to institute a canonical inquiry. He appointed Monseigneur
Quentin, Vicar General of Paris, to conduct it. The sessions were opened on 1836 . The
findings of the Canonical Inquiry of Paris completely vindicated Catherine. The court extolled
her character and virtue, and placed wholehearted credence in her visions. Two important
conclusions were reached: that the Medal was of supernatural origin, and that the wonders
worked through it were genuine."
2. Ann Ball, 2003 Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices (https://books.google.com/
books?id=tjI9YQBFDGYC&pg=PA356) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20161011083
011/https://books.google.ie/books?id=tjI9YQBFDGYC&pg=PA356) 2016-10-11 at the
Wayback Machine ISBN 0-87973-910-X p. 356
3. "AMM - Miraculous Medal Story" (https://www.amm.org/AboutAMM/Miraculous%20Medal%2
0Story.aspx). www.amm.org. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
4. Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed.). Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 2019. Paragraph
1674 (https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P58.HTM#:~:text=1674%20).
5. Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed.). Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 2019. Paragraph
1670 (https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P58.HTM#:~:text=1670%20).
6. Dirvin, C.M., Joseph I. (1958). Saint Catherine Laboure of the Miraculous Medal (http://www.
ewtn.com/library/MARY/CATLABOU.HTM). Tan Books & Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-89555-
242-6.
7. "I saw rings on her fingers, three rings to each finger, the largest one near the base of the
finger, one of medium size in the middle, the smallest one at the tip. Each ring was set with
gems, some more beautiful than others ..." Catherine Labouré, quoted in John Delaney, A
Woman Clothed With The Sun, Doubleday, 1960, p. 77.
 8. Glass, Joseph (20 December 2012) [1911]. "Miraculous Medal" (https://web.archive.org/web/
20181225185021/http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10115a.htm). The Catholic
Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Archived from the original (htt
p://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10115a.htm) on 25 December 2018.
9. McMenamin, M. 2010. Precisely dated early versions of the Miraculous Medal. Numismatics
International Bulletin, v. 45, nos. 3/4, pp. 43-48.
10. Mack, John (2003). The museum of the mind: art and memory in world cultures. British
Museum.
11. Mauriello, Rev. Matthew R. (1996). "The Miraculous Medal" (https://web.archive.org/web/201
21127222133/http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/meditations/Nov98.html). Fairfield County
Catholic. Archived from the original (http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/meditations/Nov98.htm
l) on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
12. "The Meaning of the Miraculous Medal" (https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/meaning-mi
raculous-medal). The Divine Mercy. 2016-11-25. Retrieved 2022-07-03.
13. "The Meaning of the Miraculous Medal" (https://www.marian.org/news/The-Meaning-of-the-M
iraculous-Medal-2942). www.marian.org. Retrieved 2022-07-03.
14. "The apparitions and the Miraculous Medal | Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Médaille
Miraculeuse" (https://www.chapellenotredamedelamedaillemiraculeuse.com/langues/englis
h/apparitions-et-la-medaille-miraculeuse-gb/).
www.chapellenotredamedelamedaillemiraculeuse.com. Retrieved 2022-07-03.
15. Enchiridion Indulgentiarum. quarto editur, Normae de indulgentia, 15
16. "Why is Mary Depicted Standing on a Snake?" (https://aleteia.org/2020/09/08/why-is-mary-d
epicted-standing-on-a-snake/amp/). aleteia.org. 2020-09-08. Retrieved 2022-10-10.

References
Aladel, Jean Marie: The miraculous medal : its origin, history, circulation, results (https://archi
ve.org/details/themiraculousmed00aladuoft/mode/2up) 1880
Marta Ajmar and Catherine Sheffield, The Miraculous Medal. An Immaculate Conception or
Not, The Medal 24 (1994), pp. 37–51.
Alma Power-Waters, 2000, St. Catherine Labouré and the Miraculous Medal, Ignatius Press,
ISBN 978-0-89870-765-6
Saint Catherine Labouré of the Miraculous Medal, by Joseph I Dirvin, CM, TAN Books and
Publishers, Inc, 1958/84. ISBN 0-89555-242-6
Association of the Miraculous Medal (http://www.amm.org)
Rene Laurentin, Catherine Laboure: Visionary of the Miraculous Medal, Pauline books and
Media, Boston, 2006, ISBN 0-8198-1578-0.

External links
Chapel of the Miraculous Medal (http://www.chapellenotredamedelamedaillemiraculeuse.co
m) – the site of the visitations and the resting place of Saint Catherine
Blessing and Investiture with Miraculous Medal (https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/ble
ssing-and-investiture-with-miraculous-medal-11858) EWTN

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