The Shrine of the Miraculous Medal
Motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity
140 Rue du Bac Paris

The Story of Saint Catherine Labouré
Daughter of Charity
1806-1876
"The Saint of Silence"
(There are two photos after the story.)

Saint Catherine Laboure was born on May 2, 1806 in Fain-Les-Moutiers in France. Marie Louise, her older sister, entered the Daughters of Charity following the death of their mother.

Catherine, too, felt the call to religious life but only after overcoming the objections of her father and working for a year in her brother's restaurant in Paris did she enter. This was at the Daughters of Charity Mother House on the Rue du Bac in Paris on April 21, 1830.

That summer on the night of July 18, 1830 while Catherine was still a young postulant, she was awakened at 11:30pm by a small child who told her to "Come to the Chapel, the Blessed Virgin is waiting for you."

Catherine went with the child and found the chapel brightly lit. After a half-hour of silent prayer at the altar, she heard the child say to her: "Look, the Blessed Virgin, she is here."

The Blessed Virgin said: "Come to the foot of this altar. There, graces will be poured out on all those who ask for them with confidence and fervor. They will be poured out on the great and humble."

On 27 November 1830 Mary showed Catherine the design for the Miraculous Medal with its prayer around the image of Mary: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you."

The reverse of the medal shows the letter M surmounted by a cross and below it two hearts, one encircled with a crown of thorns, and the other pierced with a sword. The design of this Medal is shown on the ceiling of Saint Dominic's Church in Shortsville, N.Y.

Catherine told the story to her confessor, who at first did not believe her. Later, at her insistence, he took the information to the Archbishop of Paris who in May of 1832 authorized the "Miraculous Medal" as it soon came to be known.

Only in the months close to her death on Dec. 31, 1876 did Sister Catherine reveal that the Medal had been given to her by Mary. When her body was exhumed in 1933, it was found perfectly preserved as it now rests in the chapel in a glass case. Pope Pius XII named her a Saint on July 27, 1947. At Saint Dominic Church, we have her relic in the back of the cross on top of our new Ambry, and a relic of St. Dominic in the front.

Body of St. Catherine Laboure: preserved intact

Chapel of Mary's Apparition to St. Catherine L.

Pilgrimage Page
by Rev. John F. Gagnier

Last modified on Saturday, December 23, 2000