Miraculous Medal

The Miraculous Medal originates from a series of apparitions of the Virgin Mary reported by Catherine Labouré, a young French novice, in the chapel of the Daughters of Charity in Paris in 1830. Mary reportedly showed Catherine an image of herself standing on a globe, crushing a serpent, with rays of light streaming from her hands — the light representing graces she wished to give humanity. She instructed Catherine to have a medal made of this image, promising that 'all who wear it will receive great graces.'

The medal was first struck in 1832 and distributed throughout Paris, where at the time cholera was killing thousands. Reports of extraordinary cures and conversions among those who received the medal were so numerous that it quickly acquired its popular name: the Miraculous Medal. Within a few years, tens of millions had been distributed across the Catholic world. Today it is estimated that billions of Miraculous Medals have been produced, making it one of the most replicated objects in human history.

The reverse of the medal features the letter M surmounted by a cross, a bar beneath, and the hearts of Jesus (crowned with thorns) and Mary (pierced by a sword), surrounded by twelve stars. The front shows Mary as described in the vision. The medal is carried by Catholics and non-Catholics alike as a charm for healing, protection, and the receipt of divine grace.