Street of the Fish: The Appearance of the Miraculous Medal
Rua do Bac, the Apparition and the Miraculous Medal
The Rue du Bac
The Rue du Bac, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, is the site where Our Lady appeared three times to the novice Catherine Labouré in 1830. During this series of apparitions, Mary requested the creation of the Miraculous Medal and revealed the image of the Woman of the Apocalypse.The Apparitions of 1830
On July 18, 1830, the eve of the feast of Saint Vincent de Paul, Catherine was awakened by a light angel who led her to the chapel in the Rue du Bac. Mary appeared to her and said: *”There will be times of great danger. The throne will be overturned.”* In November, during a second apparition, Mary showed the image to be minted on the medal.The Medal’s Image
Our Lady revealed to Catherine the image of the Woman of the Apocalypse (Rev 12), dressed in the sun, with the moon under her feet and twelve stars. She also showed the reverse of the medal, featuring the letter M, a cross, a bar, and hearts of Jesus and Mary. The inscription requested was: *”O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”*Saint Catherine Labouré
Catherine kept the secret of the apparitions for 46 years, revealing them only to her spiritual director. She spent her life as a simple nun caring for the elderly, without seeking recognition. She was canonized in 1947. Her incorrupt body rests in the Rue du Bac, where her hand holds the medal she requested from Mary.Deepen your studies: Explore Mariology, the Miraculous Medal, Marian Apparitions, and the Postgraduate Studies in Mariology.—Magisterium of the Church
> *”Apparitio Beatae Mariae Virginis Catharinae Labouré in vico Bac Parisiis (1830) approbata est ab Ecclesia: Virgo mandavit fabricari numisma Immaculatae Conceptionis.”* > > *Congregatio Missionis (Lazaristas), Approbatio canonica (1836)*📚. Literal Translation: The appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Catherine Labouré in the Rue du Bac, Paris (1830), was approved by the Church: the Virgin commanded the making of a medal of the Immaculate Conception.Graduate Studies in Mariology
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