Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Mary appeared three times to novice Catherine Labouré at the Daughters of Charity convent, 140 Rue du Bac, Paris.

• July 18, 1830: Mary warned of "sorrows coming upon France" and charged Catherine with a mission
• November 27, 1830: Mary appeared inside an oval frame, standing on a globe, wearing rings that shed rays of light
• She instructed Catherine to have a medal struck: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee"
• First 1,500 medals minted June 30, 1832; over 1 billion produced by Catherine's death (1876)

• Catherine remained anonymous until shortly before her death—no motive for fame or gain
• Alphonse Ratisbonne, an anti-Catholic Jew, wore the medal as a challenge, had a vision of Mary exactly as depicted on it, and converted—he had no prior devotion and the medal design was not yet widely known
• The Archbishop approved the medal without knowing the seer's identity