November 27 + Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

On July 19, 1830, Catherine Laboure (a 24 year old novice in Paris, France and later a canonized Saint) woke up after hearing the voice of a child calling her to the chapel, where she heard the Blessed Virgin Mary say to her, "God wishes to charge you with a mission. You will be contradicted, but do not fear; you will have the grace to do what is necessary. Tell your spiritual director all that passes within you. Times are evil in France and in the world."

On November 27, the Blessed Virgin Mary returned to Catherine during evening meditations. She displayed herself inside an oval frame, standing upon a globe. She wore many rings set with gems that shone rays of light over the globe. Around the margin of the frame appeared the words "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."

As Catherine watched, the frame seemed to rotate, showing a circle of twelve stars, a large letter M surmounted by a cross, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus crowned with thorns and the Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced with a sword. Catherine asked why some of the gems did not shed light and Mary replied, "Those are the graces for which people forget to ask."

Catherine then heard Mary ask her to take these images to her father confessor, telling him that they should be put on medallions and saying, "All who wear them will receive great graces.”

With approval of the Catholic Church, the first medals were made in 1832 and were distributed in Paris. Almost immediately the blessings that Mary had promised began to shower down on those who wore her medal, and soon all of France was clamoring for what the people referred to as the “Miraculous Medal.”