Catherine Labouré

Catherine Labouré and the Miraculous Medal

In 1806, in the vineyards of Burgundy, France, Catherine Labouré was born on the feast day of Saints Exsuperius and Zoe. From a young age, everyone called her Zoë, as her birthday fell on May 2, the feast day of these saints. She was the ninth of eleven children in a farming family. Her mother often told her, “In our sorrows, we must always run to Mary—she never turns away from a child who loves her.” When Catherine was just nine years old, her mother passed away. Though heartbroken, she found solace in her faith and declared, “Dear Blessed Mother, now you will be my mother.”

As Catherine grew older, her elder sister Louisa joined the Sisters of Charity, inspiring Catherine to pursue a religious vocation. At the age of 12, after receiving her First Holy Communion, Catherine felt a deep calling to dedicate her life to God. However, her father urged her to marry and introduced her to several suitors. Catherine firmly replied, “I shall never marry. I have promised my life to Jesus Christ.”

In 1824, while working in her brother’s café in Paris, Catherine experienced one of her first mystical visions. In the village church of Fain-les-Moûtiers, she saw an elderly priest celebrating Mass. He beckoned to her, but she drew back, keeping her eyes fixed on him. Suddenly, she found herself in what seemed to be an infirmary. The same priest appeared and said, “My child, it is good to care for the sick. You flee me now, but one day you will gladly come to me. God has designs for you. Do not forget this.” Catherine prayed to understand the meaning of this vision.

In 1828, at the age of 22, Catherine finally received her father’s permission to enter religious life. She joined the Daughters of Charity and entered the convent at Rue du Bac in Paris in January 1830. Shortly after, she visited a hospital run by the Daughters of Charity and was startled to see a painting of Saint Vincent de Paul, the founder of the order, who looked exactly like the elderly priest in her vision.

On July 18, 1830, Catherine experienced a profound apparition. A “shining child” awakened her in the night and led her to the chapel, where she saw the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary spoke to Catherine for hours, warning her of upcoming calamities in France and around the world. She also entrusted Catherine with a special mission, though its full nature would only be revealed later.

On November 27, 1830, Mary appeared again to Catherine in the chapel. This time, she showed Catherine the design of a medal, saying, “Have a medal struck after this model. All who wear it will receive great graces.” The medal featured Mary standing on a globe, with rays of light streaming from her hands, symbolizing the graces she bestows on those who ask for them. On the reverse side was a large “M” with a cross above it, surrounded by two hearts—one crowned with thorns and the other pierced by a sword.

Catherine confided in her spiritual director, Father Jean-Marie Aladel, about the apparitions. Initially skeptical, he eventually became convinced of their authenticity and sought permission from Archbishop Hyacinthe-Louis de Quélen of Paris to strike the medal. In June 1832, the first 1,500 Miraculous Medals were produced. Their popularity quickly spread, especially after the miraculous conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne in 1842, a Jewish man who converted to Catholicism after wearing the medal and experiencing a vision of Mary.

For over forty years, Catherine lived a humble life, serving the elderly and caring for the dying at the Hospice d’Enghien. She kept her identity as the visionary a secret, even as the Miraculous Medal touched countless lives worldwide. Only in her final years, sensing her death approaching, did Catherine reveal her role in the apparitions to her superior, Sister Dufé.

Catherine Labouré passed away in 1876, leaving behind a legacy of faith and devotion. Her story reminds us that even the simplest acts of trust and obedience can lead to miracles that change the world.