The story of Saint Catherine when she saw the Madonna and announced her devotion to the miraculous medal

Sister Catherine herself tells us about the apparition episode:

"On November 27, 1830, which was the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent, at half past five in the afternoon, doing meditation in deep silence, I seemed to hear a noise from the right side of the chapel, like the rustle of a garment of silk. Having turned my gaze to that side, I saw the Most Holy Virgin at the height of the painting of San Giuseppe.

The face was quite exposed, the feet rested on a globe or rather on a half globe, or at least I saw only half of it. His hands, raised to the height of the belt, naturally maintained another smaller globe, which represented the universe. She had her eyes turned to heaven, and her face became shining as she presented the globe to Our Lord. All of a sudden, his fingers were covered with rings, adorned with precious stones, one more beautiful than the other, the largest and the other smaller, which threw light rays.

While I was intent on contemplating her, the Blessed Virgin lowered her eyes towards me, and a voice was heard that said to me: "This globe represents the whole world, in particular France and every single person ...". Here I can't say what I felt and what I saw, the beauty and splendor of the rays so bright! ... and the Virgin added: "The rays are the symbol of the graces that I spread on the people who ask me", thus doing understand how sweet it is to pray to the Blessed Virgin and how generous she is with the people who pray to her; and how many graces she grants to the people who seek them and what joy she tries to grant them.

Chapel of Rue du Bac

And here a rather oval picture formed around the Blessed Virgin, on which, at the top, in a semicircle way, from the right hand to the left of Mary we read these words, written in golden letters: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who turn to you. "

Then a voice was heard that said to me: “Have a coin minted on this model; all the people who bring it will receive great graces; especially wearing it around the neck. The graces will be abundant for the people who will bring it with confidence ".

Instantly it seemed to me that the painting turned and I saw the reverse of the coin. There was the monogram of Mary, that is, the letter M surmounted by a cross and, as the basis of this cross, a thick line, or the letter I, the monogram of Jesus, Jesus.