The Biography of Saint Catherine Labouré
- Based on the book, A Light Shining on the Earth -

Born on May 2, 1806, in the town of Fain-les-Moutiers, Burgundy, France, Catherine was the eight child of her family. Her mother, worn out by seventeen pregnancies (with ten surviving children), and the rigors of farm life, died prematurely on October 9, 1815. Catherine grew up in a family in which prayer was a part of daily life.

While the adults were gathered around her dying mother, it is told that Catherine climbed on a chair and took the family's statue of Our Lady in her arms. Timidly, but with conviction, she asked Mary to take the place of her mother. Her tears stopped and she returned to her mother's deathbed certain what she would not have to face life alone.

All during her infancy, Catherine Labouré had a great devotion to Our Lady Mary.
After his wife's burial, Pierre Labouré agreed to his sister's suggestion that she care for his two youngest children Catherine (age 9) and Tonine (age 7). The two girls went to live with their cousins at Saint Rémy, a village which was 9 kilometers from their home.

Marie-Louise, Pierre's eldest daughter, took over her mother's place in running the family and the farm. After two years, Mr. Labouré, who missed Catherine and Tonine, arranged for their return. The children were thrilled to be home. Catherine in particular was overjoyed to be reunited with her father. She also developed a close bond with her little brother Auguste, (age 9) who has been disabled in a carriage accident. Her chores included taking care of the farm's 600 doves. Marie-Louise taught her younger sister to work in the stable, the garden, how to clean the house, and how to cook. Catherine learned diligently all these tasks. When Marie-Louise announced that she was going to fulfill her dream of entering the Order of the Daughter of Charity, it is said that Catherine told Tonine: "The two of us will run the house."

Catherine entered into the new family responsibilities. The first to rise, she carefully attended to all her shores. She cooked, took care of the cows, collected eggs, made bread, took care of the doves, and did the wash.

On January 25, 1818, Catherine made her First Communion. With great devotion, she often attended daily mass in the town of Moutiers-Saint-Jean which was about 4 kilometers from her village. Tonine was upset, thinking that her sister was taking on more than her strength would allow. She also noticed that Catherine fasted on Fridays and Saturdays. Tonine thought that Catherine was to young to undertake these practices, and she threatened to tell their father. Catherine, who possessed a strong character, did not relent.

One night, Catherine had a dream. In her church's village an elderly priest was saying mass. The priest gazed at Catherine and said to her:

"My daughter, you may flee me now, but one day you will to come to me. Do not forget that God has plans for you."

Several years later when Catherine visited the Daughters of Charity at Chatillon-sur-Seine, she noticed a painting on the parlor wall. She was choked to recognize the priest in the painting as the priest her dream. She asked, "Who is this priest?" A sister told her that it was, Saint Vincent de Paul.

When she was eighteen, Catherine finally received her father permission to go to Chatillon to live with a cousin who ran a little school. She wanted to learn how to read and to write. These were the prerequisites for Daughters of Charity. The other young women looked down on Catherine because of her country ways. She lost her confidence and returned to the family farm. She had only learned to read and write a few words.

God's call was pressing. She wondered how she should tell her father of her desire to become a Daughter of Charity. Catherine knew that he would oppose such an idea. He felt  that the sacrifice of his daughter Marie-Louise was enough. Catherine patiently waited until she was of legal age. Even then her father refused to give his permission. He felt Catherine was too useful on the farm, and that her hard work, and happy nature, would make her a perfect farmer's wife and a wonderful mother. Mr. Labouré even tried to find her a husband. He was wasting his time. Catherine remained faithful to God's call.

Mr. Labouré knew that since his daughter had his temperament, it would be difficult to change her mind. He therefore tried another approach. Catherine was sent to Paris to help her brother Charles run his small restaurant. Charles's wife had died, and he was in need of assistance.

Obediently, Catherine left for the City still hurting from her father's refusal. Her abilities as a cook and a housekeeper attracted numerous suitors, but Catherine remained aloof from all of them. Charles understood his sister's unhappiness. When he remarried on February 3, 1829, he agreed that she could leave. Instead of returning home, Catherine wrote to her sister Marie-Louise who advised her to go to Chatillon to stay with her older brother Hubert who has married their cousin who ran the finishing school.

Catherine, who was always uncomfortable around the city girls, spent more and more time with the local Daughters of Charity. Hubert spoke to his father on his sister's behalf Pierre Labouré finally gave in before the un-mistaken signs that this daughter had a vocation. On January 1830, Catherine began her postulancy at Chatillon.

The Apparitions

On Wednesday, April 21, 1830, Catherine Labouré entered the novitiate of the Daughters of Charity, located at their motherhouse in Paris. Catherine's spiritual experiences during this time would be extraordinary. She would tell her confessor about everything that was happening to her. At first he paid no attention.

On Sunday, April 25, a few days after her arrival, Catherine joined the other sisters in celebrating the, Translations of the Relics of Saint Vincent de Paul.  During the revolutionary period, these relics had been hidden for safekeeping. The Archbishop of Paris now wished to honor the saint whom everyone recognized as "The Father of the Poor". He hoped that his celebration would rekindle the faith of the residents of the capital. An immerse procession wound through the streets of Paris from Notre Dame Cathedral to the chapel of the Priests of the Congregation of the Mission at 95 rue de Sevres.

When Catherine returned to the motherhouse after the celebration she had a vision of Saint Vincent's heart. The apparition repeated itself for three consecutive days. Each time the color of the harts changed. Here is what Catherine Labouré wrote later at the request of her confessor:

"Every time that I returned from Saint Lazare, I would go to our chapel where above the little reliquary containing Saint Vincent's relics, his heart would appear to me. This happened three days in a row. The first day the heart was white symbolizing peace, calm innocence, and union. On the second day it appeared to be red like the charity, which must enflame our hearts. I sensed that the Community would undergo renewal and would spread throughout the world. Finally on the last day it was black. This distressed me greatly. I do not know why, nor do I know if this sadness was related to the revolution that would soon take place. I spoke to my confessor who tried to calm me as much as possible, and distract me from all these thoughts."

In her daily life there was nothing that distinguished Catherine from the other young sisters. Their day began at 4:00 a.m.. After Mass, the directress would give a conference on the vocation of the Daughters of Charity. She spoke of the importance of the Eucharist's. Catherine kept hidden the great favor that she had been granted sensing our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. On the feast of the Holy Trinity she also had a vision of the Christ the King.

"I was also favored with another great grace, that of seeing Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. This happened thought-out my time in the novitiate until I allowed myself to doubt. After this I saw nothing because I had doubted this profound mystery, and I believed that I may have been mistaken in what I had seen."

The days passed peacefully. Catherine, who has desired to see Mary since her childhood prayed fervently to be granted this favor.

On July 18, Sister Martha the novice directress spoke about Saint Vincent's devotion to the Blessed Mother. Catherine Labouré went that day to bed at about 10:00 p.m.

Catherine confessor asked her later about her experience that night and to put her recollections in writing. This is what she wrote:

"At 11:30 p.m. in the evening, I heard someone calling me: "Sister, Sister, Sister." I awoke and looked in the direction that I heard a voice coming from. I saw a little child dressed in white who appeared to me about 4 or 5 years old. The child said to me: "Let us go to the chapel.. Get up quickly and go the Chapel. The Blessed Virgin is waiting for you". The thought came to me: 'But someone will hear me.'  The child told me: 'Do not worry, it is 11:30 in the evening, and everyone is asleep. Come, I am waiting for you.'"

"I arose and dressed quickly while the child waited for me at the foot of the bed. He followed me, or rather I followed him. He was always on my left. He shone brightly and illuminated the path we were taking. This astonished me greatly. But I was even more surprise as I entered the chapel and found that the door opened at the child's touch. My amazement was made complete when I saw that all the candles and lights in the chapel were illuminated as if for midnight mass. I did not yet see the Blessed Virgin. The child led me into the sanctuary to the chair where the sisters' directress always sat. I fell to my knees, and the child remained with me. I thought a long time had passed and looked to see if the sisters on the night watch passed by.

"Finally, the time had come. The child sensed this and told me: 'Here is the Blessed Virgin. She is here.'  I heard a rustling like the sound of a silk dress. The sound was coming from the Gospel side of the altar. I doubted at first that this was the Blessed Virgin. After this, it was impossible for me to describe what I was feeling or what was going on around me. It seemed that I still could not recognize the Blessed Virgin. Now the child no longer spoke to me in child's voice, but in a man's strong voice.

"Then I recognized the Blessed Virgin, I quickly knelt before her on the steps of the altar and put my hands on her knees. Then I spent the greatest moments of my life. It would be impossible for me to describe how I felt. She told me how I must conduct myself during the struggles that would come to me in the future. She pointed to the foot of the altar with her left hand and said that it was there I was to open my heart, there I would receives all the consolation that I needed. There I should ask for the explanation of all the things that I had seen. Oh! She explained everything to me!

"I do not know how long I stayed there. All I know is that when she left, she suddenly was gone in the same way as she arrived. I found myself on the steps of the altar and I saw the child was where I had last seen him. He told me, 'She is gone.'

We returned the same way we had come with the path illuminated before us. The child was always on my left. I believe that this child was my guardian angel who has become visible to guide me to the Blessed Virgin. Because I had prayed so hard he obtained this grace for me. He was dressed in white, and was miraculously illuminated. He seems to be about 4 or 5 years old. I returned to my bed. I heard the clock around this time. It was 2:00 a.m. I could not get back to sleep."

In the course of their long conversation, the Virgin Mary told Catherine that she would be given a mission. Like all God's messengers, she could expect to encounter numerous difficulties and suffer many contradictions.

In another account written on October 30, 1876, Catherine Labouré reported some of the Virgin Mary's words:

"My Child, God wants to give you a mission. You will encounter many difficulties but you will be able to overcome them if you do everything for God's glory. You must believe that all this comes from God, and you will not be at peace until you tell your confessor about what has happened. You will encounter obstacles, but you will be given the grace that you need. Do not fear. You will see certain things. Tell what you will see. You will be inspired in your prayers.

"The times are very evil. Misfortunes afflict France; the entire word will experience misfortunes of all sorts.  The moments will come when the danger will be great. People will believe that all is lost. The cross will be scorned, blood will flow in the streets, the entire world will be saddened. But come to the foot of this altar, there abundant graces will be spread over all those who ask for them with confidence and fervor. They will be given to the great and small."

Then Catherine recalled the message that Mary told her to give to her confessor Father Jean-Marie Aladel:

"The Blessed Virgin would like you to be its founder and director. This will be, 'The Association of the Children of Mary.' The Blessed Virgin Mary will give you many graces."

However, during the last days of July 1830 a revolution broke out in Paris, which overthrew the King of France, Charles X. Her confessor, Father Aladel, was astonished. His penitent has predicted this would happen. He wondered whether Catherine's account could be authentic and not the product of her imagination.

This is how Catherine Labouré wrote the accounts of the second apparition:

"On November 27, 1830, which was the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent, at 5:30 p.m. after the meditation and during the Grand Silence, I seemed to hear a sound of rustling silk.  The Blessed Virgin Mary wore a long white veil. Under the veil, I saw that her hair was covered. The figure was standing. Her feet were setting on a globe, or better on what appeared to me to be half a globe. She had her hands raised gracefully, and her eyes were elevated to heaven. Her face was quite beautiful. I cannot describe it.

"Suddenly, I noticed that her fingers each had rings covered with beautiful stones. Some were small and some were large. These stones emitted rays of light, each more beautiful that the next. The farther these rays spread the larger they become. They caused a great light, which was so bright that I could no longer see her feet.

"At the same moment that I saw this, the Blessed Virgin lowered her eyes and looked at me. I seemed to hear a voice saying: 'This globe that you see presents the entire world, especially France, and each person in particular.'  I do not know how to express how I felt, or how to describe the beauty and the grace of what I saw, especially the rays which were so beautiful.  The Blessed Virgin said to me, 'This is the symbol of the graces that I pour out upon those who ask for them.'"

"I understood this to mean that the blessed Virgin desired that people pray for her. She joyfully granted those graces asked of her. At this moment, I was filled with rejoicing, and I was not aware of my surroundings.

"A sort of oval picture formed around Our Lady. At the top of this image written in gold were the words:

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.

"Then I heard a voice which said: 'Have a medal made according to this model. Everyone who wears it around their neck will receive great graces. For those who wear it with confidence there will be abundant graces.'"

"Several moments later, the tableau was turned around to reveal the reverse side. Catherine saw the letter "M" surmounting a small cross. At this base were the sacred hearts of Jesus and Mary."

The Miraculous Medal

 

The Mother of God instructed Catherine that she was to go to her spiritual director, Father Aladel, about the apparitions. At first he did not believe Catherine, but, after two years, approached the Bishop of Paris with the story of the events that had taken place at Rue du Bac.

Our Blessed Mother had chosen well Her time for the apparitions, as the Bishop at that period was an ardent devotee of the Immaculate Conception. He said that the Medal was in complete conformity with the Church's doctrine on the role of Our Lady and that he had no objections to having the medals struck at once. The Bishop even asked to be sent some of the first.

Immediately upon receiving them, he put one in his pocket and went to visit Monseigneur de Pradt, former chaplain to Napoleon and unlawful Archbishop of Mechlin who had accepted his office from the hands of the Emperor and now lay dying, defiant and unreconciled to the Church. The sick man refused to abjure his errors and the Bishop of Paris withdrew in defeat. He had not left the house when the dying man suddenly called him back, made his peace with the Church and gently passed away in the arms of the Archbishop, who was filled with a holy joy.

The original order of 20,000 medals proved to be but a small start. The new medals began to pour from the presses in streams inundating France and the rest of the world beyond. By the time of St. Catherine's death in 1876, over a billion medals had been distributed in many lands. This sacrament from Heaven was at first called, simply, the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, but began to be known as the Miraculous Medal due to the unprecedented number of miracles, conversions, cures, and acts of protection attributed to Our Lady's intercession for those who wore it.

The most remarkable miracle was the conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne, a wealthy Jewish banker and lawyer and also a blasphemer and hater of Catholicism, in 1841. A Catholic friend gave him a medal, daring him to wear it and say a Memorare.

 
 

Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.

 
Not long after, he went to a church to make funeral arrangements for a friend. There he saw a vision of Mary as on the Miraculous Medal. This converted him on the spot and he immediately begged for Baptism. Afterwards, he became a priest and spent 30 years laboring in the Holy Land as a missionary to his own people.

 

 
Conclusion

On the last day of 1876, St. Catherine passed to her eternal reward. For the forty-six years from the year of the apparitions until her death, only she and her confessor knew who it was to whom the famous Miraculous Medal was revealed, despite many pressures she received to reveal the secret. The years passed by, Catherine performed daily her mundane and very ordinary tasks of sewing and door keeping, unknown to the world around her, which was buzzing with the miraculous effects of the medal. Because of this humility, she is often called the Saint of Silence. When her body was exhumed for beatification 57 years after her death in 1933, it was found as fresh as the day it was buried. Her incorrupt body can still be seen today at the Mother House of the Sisters of Charity, 140 Rue du Bac in Paris.

The next day, the archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Verdier, addressed the Daughters of Charity and Vincentians, who had gathered at the Mother House in the presence of the remains of Sister Catherine:

"It is infinitely more important that you endeavor to keep Catherine's spirit rather than just watch over her remains. I believe that you now have among you the 'the saint of humility."

A detailed medical examination of Sister Catherine's exhumed remains concluded: "The body is in perfect state of preservation, and its joints are still supple."

After the celebration of the beatification on May 28, 1933, the body of Sister Catherine was placed under the renovated altar honoring the "Virgin of the Globe."

Thus, countless pilgrims have been able to gather close to her as they pray for her intercession, and that of the Blessed Virgin. Sister Catherine Labouré has been canonized by Pope Pius XII on July 27, 1947.