Marie in Paris

Posted by Adrienne

Blessed Immaculate Conception!

I have always heard about people travelling to Fatima and Lourdes to visit the Marian apparition sites.  For some reason, they always seemed like such far off places to travel.  Until recently, I had no idea that just four quick Metro stops from the Louvre Museum in the middle of Paris is a little jewel box of Catholic faith...

the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

The Blessed Mother appeared here in several visits to St. Catherine Laboure in 1830.  St. Catherine is one of many saints, like St. Terese, who lost her own mother at an early age and took the Blessed Mother as her own mother.  St. Catherine was a religious sister in the Daughters of Charity founded by St. Vincent de Paul and served the poor in Paris.  She is entombed in the Chapel on the right side of the altar; on the left side is entombed  St. Louise de Marillac who worked with St. Vincent de Paul.

The arches over the altar include beautiful invitations to the faithful (in French!):

"Come to the foot of this altar; there, graces will be showered upon all."

the second arch includes a prayer that the Daughters of Charity add at the end of each decade of the Holy Rosary: 

"I believe and confess your holy and Immaculate Conception."

and on the inner arch above the statue is the prayer Mary gave to St. Catherine:

"O Mary, conceived without sin,

pray for us who have recourse to thee."

Mary instructed St. Catherine to have a medal struck with this prayer which became known as the Miraculous Medal.  She worked through her priest confessor to anonymously share the Medal with the world. 

I just love it when I see someone (I guess usually just women) wearing a Miraculous Medal.  Doesn't it make you feel like - Yes!  Hello, sister!  We both love the Blessed Mother! 

St. Catherine is so remarkable to me because although she was graced and blessed with the apparations of the Blessed Mother, she took no glory for herself and continued to humbly work alongside her sisters in her vocation. 

Although it can be hard to say, I love the Litany of Humilty prayer.  May Jesus and his mother Mary help me be generous of heart and humble like St. Catherine!