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Regarded as one of the world's most cosmopolitan capital cities, a region of premier fashion, haute cuisine, beautiful avenues, and some of the finest Neoclassical architecture found, Paris, France is easily one of today's most famous cities. Standing as one of the world's leading global metropolises, the Paris region produces over a quarter of France's wealth, due in part to the more than 30 million visitors the city receives each year. Owing to its early appropriation of street lighting, Paris was effectively coined “the City of Light” in the 19th century, and rightfully so. But the reference to the city being one of “light” takes on a completely different, even, deeper meaning for the faithful travelers who visit the city. It was in Paris, on July 18, 1830, that a young nun named Catherine Laboure received the first of a series of visions from the Blessed Virgin Mary, visions which would eventually lead to the casting of the Miraculous Medal.
Born Zoe Laboure on May 2, 1806, to the large family of a successful farmer, Pierre Laboure, Zoe assumed the household role of her deceased mother at a young age. It was in her teens that Zoe decided to pursue a life of spiritual devotion and become a nun. Her father, however, was against her actions, and sent her to Paris in 1829 to work at his brother's cafe. After a short period of time working for her uncle, Zoe fled to her relatives in Chatillon-sur-Seine. She soon joined the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, where she soon took Catherine as her religious name. Following her admission into the religious order, she was sent to the order's convent on the rue de Bac in Paris.
On the night of July 18, 1830, Catherine was given a divine mission. Awakened by a small child dressed in white, a child who would later be revealed as Catherine's guardian angel, the young boy requested she follow him to the convent's chapel. When they arrived, the Blessed Virgin appeared before her and warned of the troubled times that lay ahead for both France and mankind. The two of them discussed many things over the course of their two-hour long conversation, where near the end, the Blessed Virgin informed Catherine that the “good God” wished to charge her with a mission.
Nearly four months passed, and on November 27, the Blessed Virgin appeared again to Catherine in the chapel, only this time she emerged in the form of a detailed picture. In the vision, the Blessed Virgin stood atop a globe, crushing a serpent beneath one foot and holding a smaller golden globe in her hands. Brilliant beams of light radiated from her hands, and encircling her in the form and shape of a medal where the words: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” The image then turned to the reverse side and revealed the letter M, crowned by a bar and cross, beneath which were the Sacred Heart of Jesus surmounted by thorns and the Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced by a sword. The young nun then heard a voice say, “Have a medal struck after this model. All who wear it will receive great graces. They should wear it around the neck.”
The same apparition returned to Catherine over the course of the next few years, always bearing the same implication. Catherine told only her confessor, M. Aladel, about the things she had seen; and it was he who confirmed the visions true and obtained permission from the archbishop of Paris to have the medal cast.
For over 40 years Catherine never preached of the visions, not once revealing her role publicly until a few months before her death in 1876. In May 1933, she was beatified, and later canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1947. Her incorrupt body remains in the Daughters of Charity chapel where the first apparition occurred. The shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is located in the heart of Paris at 140, rue de Bac. Today, over a million pilgrims travel to the shrine each year to pray before the site of the 1830 apparitions. Even still, the Miraculous Medal is believed to possess divine powers of grace for those who wear it confidently.
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