The medal of the immaculate conception, called the miraculous medal, was manifested to a spiritual daughter of St. Vincent de Paul, catherine Laboure, who is now, saint catherine Laboure.
Sister catherine, during her novitiate days, received the visions of the heart of st. Vincent and manifestations of our lord in the blessed sacrament. In 1830 she was blessed with the apparitions of Mary Immaculate to which we owe the miraculous medal.
The following, in St. Catherine’s own words, is a description of the apparition of our lady on November 27, 1830.
“her feet rested on a white globe… I saw rings on her fingers… Each ring was set with gems… The larger gems emitted greater rays and the smaller gems, smaller rays… I could not express… What i saw, the beauty and the brilliance of the dazzling rays. They are the symbols of the graces i shed upon those who ask for them, (a voice said) … A frame… Formed round the blessed virgin. Within it was written in letters of gold: ‘o Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.’… Then the voice said:
“have a medal struck after this model. All who wear it will receive great graces; abundant graces will be given to those who have confidence; they should wear it around the neck…’
At this instant the tableau seemed to turn, and i beheld the reverse of the medal: a large m surmounted by a bar and a cross; beneath the m were the hearts of Jesus and Mary, the one crowned with thorns, the other pierced with a sword.”