Notre Dame de la Médaille Miraculeuse, Paris

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If you want to see a Saint, then go to the Hôtel de Châtillon. Saint Catherine Labouré lies in state at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal) at 140 rue du Bac, Paris (Métro Sèvres - Babylone‎)

Catherine Labouré was a twenty-four year old novice sister when she was privileged to see Mary late on the night of 18 July 1830. Mary told Catherine that God wished to charge her with a mission. "There will be bad times to come. Misfortunes will come crashing down on France. The throne will be toppled. The whole world will be turned upside-down by misfortunes of all kinds [...] But come to the foot of this altar. There, graces will be poured out on all those, small, or great, who ask for them with confidence and fervour. Graces will be poured out especially [on tho]se who ask for them.”

Catherine repeated all this to her spiritual director, Father Aladel, who was sceptical, but this scepticism disappeared when the revolution in Paris began just over a week later on 27 July 1830.

Later in the same year, on 27 November, Catherine again saw Mary in the chapel, during community meditation. She was dressed in white, standing on a globe and holding a golden ball, with rings on her fingers flashing with light. “The ball which you see represents the whole world, especially France, and each person in particular. These rays symbolise the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls forget to ask."

The golden ball then vanished as this apparition changed to represent Mary with her arms outstretched, inside an oval frame with golden lettering: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Then she was shown the reverse of the medal, consisting of a large “M” surmounted by a bar and cross, with two hearts, representing the hearts of Jesus and Mary, all encircled by twelve stars.

"Have a Medal struck after this model. All who wear it will receive great graces; they should wear it around the neck. Graces will abound for persons who wear it with confidence.”

Again Father Aladel was reluctant to act, but once the medal was struck and distributed, it rapidly earned the title of the “Miraculous” medal. A canonical inquiry was initiated by Archbishop de Quelen and this concluded that Catherine was of good character, that the apparitions she had reported were to be accepted, and that the Miraculous Medal was supernaturally inspired and responsible for genuine miracles.

Catherine worked in a hostel for old men for forty years and was eventually canonised as St. Catherine Labouré, in 1947.

Sources: Dirvin, Saint Catherine Labouré of the Miraculous Medal, Rockford, 1984; Laurentin, The Life of Catherine Labouré, London, 1983. Laurentin, The Life of Catherine Labouré; Dirvin, Saint Catherine Labouré.

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A PILGRIMAGE IN PARIS
Catherine Laboure was a nun at the convent of the "soeurs de la charité" (founded by Saint Vincent de Paul) and during the night of the 18/19 July 1830 she was awoke up by a young girl saying the Holly Virgin was waiting for her in the Chapel. She had several meetings with the Jesus Christ's mother. During one of them, she received the accurate description of a medal showing Mary protecting the world.
A lot of medals were produced and sold. They protect against a lot of things and especially the sickness. The medal made some miracles during the cholera epidemic of 1832.

The chapel receives daily a lot of pilgrims coming from all the world.
Just nearby there is a department store : Le Bon Marche. So you can also shop.

I found it inside Notre Dame. I have found a similar one in Brussels Cathedral too.

It's a remembrance to the one million brithish dead during 1st World War, whom the greater part of them rest in France.

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Welcome to the Chapelle Notre Dame de la Medaille Miraculeuse, the spot that Frommer's Irreverent Paris calls an "Out-of-the-ordinary religious experience" and it sure is. Inside is a nun who is perfectly preserved under glass, laid out in the open for all to see, rather like Lenin! Only people pray to her in the hopes of being granted an audience with God. She is Catherine Laboure who had a vision in 1830 of the Virgin Mary and for which she has since been beatified by the church. Since then the nuns have sold 500 million miraculous medals with the image of the virgin that is guaranteed to reap rewards for all who wear them.

I thought I was taking a photo of Catherine Laboure but the photo I have is of a wax figure of another nun, St. Louise, who was the founder of the Daughters of Charity. This was off to the left of the chapel while Catherine Laboure's undeteriorated body lies to the right. This shot was taken during mass so I was unable to get closer as I didn't want to disturb the worshippers. Good thing my camera can take decent shots in low-level lighting so as not to resort to flash.

Address: 140 rue du Bac - 7th arr - Paris
Hours: Wednesday thru Monday 7:45am - 1pm, 2:30 - 7pm and Tuesday from 7:45am - 7pm. Get there early.

Photos: February 2006

While street musicians are somewhat common in cities, I found these people to be a bit different and very enjoyable. Everyone was smiling and tapping their toes.

I don’t know their schedule, however caught them on playing on a Sunday afternoon in front of Notre Dame.

Just another one of those enjoyable things that you won’t find on any tourist map.

"Notre Dame de la Médaille miraculeuse"
"Our Lady of Miraculous Medal"

Here, Virgin Mary appeared in 1830 to Catherine Labouré, and asked her to make a medal (the one on the photo).
Mass in many laguages (enven Japanese sometimes).
A mystical place.