Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

On November 27, 1830, during evening meditation in the chapel at Rue du Bac, Catherine Laboure saw the Blessed Virgin standing on a globe, with rays of light streaming from her hands. An oval frame formed around the vision with the words: 'O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.' The image then rotated to show the reverse side: the letter M surmounted by a cross, with the hearts of Jesus and Mary below. The Virgin instructed Catherine to have a medal struck according to this design, promising that 'all who wear it will receive great graces.' Catherine's confessor, Father Aladel, eventually brought the design to the Archbishop of Paris, and the first 1,500 medals were struck in 1832. The medal spread rapidly throughout France and the world, accompanied by numerous reports of conversions, healings, and protections. Catherine kept her identity as the visionary secret for 46 years, revealing it only shortly before her death in 1876.