This window is
centered on the image that is on the front of the miraculous medal. Our Lady manifested
this image to Sister (now Saint) Catherine Laboure on November 27, 1830 in the
motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise
de Marillac, in Paris. Catherine saw Our Lady standing on a globe, with
dazzling rays of light streaming from her outstretched hands. Framing the
figure was an inscription: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us
who have recourse to thee.
Mary is standing upon a globe,
crushing the head of a serpent beneath her foot. She stands upon the globe, as
the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Her feet crush the serpent to proclaim Satan and
all his followers are helpless before her (Gn 3:15). The reference to Mary conceived without sin supports the
dogma of the Immaculate Conception of MaryÑnot to be confused with the virgin
birth of Jesus, and referring to Mary's sinlessness, Òfull of graceÓ and Òblessed
among womenÓ (Luke 1:28)Ñthat was proclaimed 24 years later in 1854 by the Pope. The
devotion commonly known as that of the Miraculous Medal owes its origin to Zoe
Labore, a member of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, known
in religion as Sister Catherine [Note: She was subsequently canonized], to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary
appeared three separate times in the year 1830, at the mother-house of the
community at Paris.
The first of these apparitions
occurred 18 July, the second 27 November, and the third a short time later. On the second
occasion, Sister Catherine records that the Blessed Virgin appeared as if
standing on a globe, and bearing a globe in her hands. As if from rings set with precious
stones dazzling rays of light were emitted from her fingers. These, she said,
were symbols of the graces
which would be bestowed on all who asked for them. Sister Catherine adds that
around the figure appeared an oval frame bearing in golden letters the words
"O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have
recourse to thee"; on the back appeared the letter M, surmounted by a
cross, with a crossbar beneath it, and under all the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and
Mary, the former surrounded by a crown of thorns, and the
latter pierced by
a sword.
Above the
central image is a dove, which represents the Holy Spirit, who overshadows Mary
and dispenses graces through her intercession. Surrounding the Holy Spirit are
seven winged shapes that represent the seven spirits that surround the throne
of God (book of Revelations). On the frame of the window are sixteen diamond
like shapes that represent the angels assigned to serve Mary as Queen of the
angels. In between the shapes are twenty bright blue beads that represent the
twenty mysteries of the rosary.
Below and on either side of the central image are two roses, which are
symbols of Mary as the mystical Rose. Below the central image is an image of
the first two letters of MaryÕs name. On either side of the image of her name
is on the right the back of the miraculous medal and on the left the front of
the medal.
Some months after the apparitions,
Sister Catherine was assigned to the Hospice of Enghein (in the 12th district
of Paris) to care for the elderly. She begins her work, however an interior
voice keeps insisting that the Medal must be struck. Once again Catherine
speaks to her confessor, Father Aladel. In February 1832 a terrible epidemic of
cholera broke out in Paris and would eventually result in 20,000 deaths! In
June the Daughters of Charity began to distribute the first 2000 medals that
had been made at the request of Father Aladel. The number of cures multiplied,
as well as protection from the disease and conversions. There was a surge of
requests for the medal. The people of Paris called the medal Òmiraculous.Ó By
autumn of 1834 there were already 500,000 medals in existence. In 1835 there
were more than one million worldwide and in 1839 more than 10,000,000 medals
were distributed. At the time of
the death of Sister Catherine, in 1876, there were more than a billion medals. Today there are many associations of
the miraculous medal throughout the world. Blessed Mother Theresa Of Calcutta
was known to give the medals away to everyone she met in her travels throughout
the world. To find out more about the apparitions and the medal type in
miraculous medal and go to the official site of the shrine in Paris where the
apparitions took place.