Feast Day : November 25

Name meaning: Pure one

Catherine Labouré was born on May 2, 1806, in the Côte d’Or, France, to a farming family. Her given name at birth was Zoe. She was eight when her mother died, and she assumed responsibility for helping to raise her siblings. At age 18 she had a dream that foretold her destiny in the church. In the dream, she attended mass said by a saintly old priest. She then met him again when she visited a sick person. The priest told her, “My daughter, it is good to nurse the sick. Now you avoid me, but one day you’ll be very glad to come to me. The good Lord has plans for you—do not forget it!” In 1830 she joined the Daughters of Charity, founded by St. Vincent de Paul, in Paris. When she saw a picture of him, she was astonished to recognize him as the saintly old priest in her dream. Three times in 1830, while Catherine was still a novice, Mary appeared to her. The first apparition occurred on July 18, after Catherine had retired to her partitioned cubicle, silently repeating a prayer. She went to sleep with the thought that she would see Mary that night. At about 11:30 P.M., she was awakened by the sound of someone calling her name. She saw a child dressed in white who appeared to be about four or five years old. The child told her to come to the chapel where Mary was waiting for her. Catherine was surprised to see that the way to the chapel was lit. She was even more surprised when she entered the chapel and saw all the candles and lights lit, which reminded her of midnight mass. After a long wait, Mary made her presence known with a noise like the rustling of a silk dress. Turning, Catherine saw Mary—a sight that she described as “the sweetest moment in my life.” Mary told Catherine that God wished to charge her with a mission. She would suffer many trials and be contradicted, but she should never have fear. She would be inspired in her prayers. Mary advised her how to act with her director and also told her several secrets that she was not to disclose. She predicted that bad times were coming for France and that the whole world would be in upheaval due to “all sorts of troubles.” The streets would be filled with blood and the whole world would be in sorrow. Catherine was never to lose faith. Mary, who seemed to be in great grief, departed. The child—whom Catherine felt was her guardian angel—took her back to her bed. It was 2 A.M. A few days later Catherine told her vision to her confessor, Father Aladel, but he paid little attention to it. The second vision occurred on November 27, 1830, at 5:30 in the afternoon. Catherine was participating in a community meditation in the chapel. She saw Mary, exquisitely beautiful, dressed in white and standing on a globe. She held a small globe, above which was a small golden cross. Mary was looking up toward heaven. She held the globe against her heart and offered it to Jesus as advocate and mother of all mankind. Suddenly her hands blazed with dazzling light. Her fingers were covered with jewels that fell onto the globe at her feet and she lowered her hands. Mary looked at Catherine and said, “This globe which you see represents the world as a whole and France in particular and each separate individual.” The streams of light were “the symbol of the graces which I shed on those who ask me for them.” Catherine then saw a slightly oval frame form around Mary. Over it were the words “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee” written in gold letters. She heard a voice say, “Have a medal made according to this model. Everybody who wears it will receive great graces by wearing it around the neck. The graces will be abundant for persons who wear it with confidence.” Catherine saw the reverse side of the medal, which featured the cross, the letter M, the two hearts of Jesus and Mary, and the 12 stars of the apostles. Catherine shared her second vision with Father Aladel, but he dismissed this one, too. The last vision occurred in December 1830. Catherine saw Mary standing above and in the rear of the tabernacle on the altar. Under Mary’s feet was a green serpent with yellow spots. When she noticed that some of the jewels on Mary’s hands did not shine, Catherine was told, “Those stones which remain dark symbolize the graces that people have forgotten to request.” Catherine was again shown the design for the medal and instructed to have it made. Mary told her she would not appear again but would speak to Catherine in her prayers. Father Aladel still refused to act. Catherine prayed about this, and was told by Mary that a day would come when he would do Mary’s bidding. In 1832, after securing permission from the archbishop of Paris, he had 1,500 medals made. They were approved in 1836. When distributed, they immediately were associated with miraculous healings and conversions, and quickly spread throughout Europe. By 1836, more than six million medals had been made in Paris and Lyons, and millions more in 12 other cities. Mary also instructed that Father Aladel should found and direct the Sodality Children of Mary. This he did. The troubles for France proved to be the anticlerical revolt in Paris in 1870. Catherine and Father Aladel told no one who had received the vision for this medal. Father Aladel took the secret to his grave; Catherine remained silent about it for 46 years. She continued her work as a Daughter of Charity. On all feasts of Mary she was sick or suffering extreme pain. Early in 1876 she announced that she would be dead within a year. With Mary’s permission, she gave a full account of the apparitions to her mother superior. She died on December 31, 1876, and was buried in the chapel of the Daughters of Charity of Paris. Her body was exhumed on March 21, 1933, and found to be incorrupt. Her hands were amputated and her heart removed for relics, as were several ribs, clavicle and the kneecaps. Her incorrupt body, with wax hands, is on display behind glass.