Pope Francis blesses the statue of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Pope Francis blessed a statue of the Immaculate Virgin Mary of the Miraculous Medal at the end of the Wednesday general audience.

The statue will soon begin to travel around Italy as part of an evangelization initiative by the Vincentian Congregation of the Mission. The pope met with a delegation of Vincentians, led by their superior general, Fr. Tomaž Mavrič, on November 11th.

The Vincentians said in a statement that this year-long Marian pilgrimage of the image of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal will help proclaim God's merciful love at a time "marked by strong tensions on every continent."

The Miraculous Medal is a sacramental inspired by the Marian apparition to Saint Catherine Labouré in Paris in 1830. The Virgin Mary appeared to her as the Immaculate Conception, standing on a globe with light flowing from her hands and crushing a snake under her feet. feet.

“A voice told me: 'Get a medal struck after this model. Everyone who wears it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around their neck, '”he recalled.

One side of the Miraculous Medal features a cross with the letter "M" under it, surrounded by 12 stars, and images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The other side has an image of Mary as she appeared to Labouré, surrounded by the words "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you".

The statue of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is based on Labouré's vision of the Immaculate Conception.

Starting from 1 December, the Vincentians will take the statue on pilgrimage to parishes throughout Italy, starting in the Lazio region, which includes Rome, and ending in Sardinia on 22 November 2021.

The Vincentians were originally founded by San Vincenzo de 'Paoli in 1625 to preach missions to the poor. Today the Vincentians regularly celebrate mass and hear confessions in the chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal at 140 Rue du Bac, in the heart of Paris.

Saint Catherine Labouré was a novice with the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul when she received three apparitions from the Blessed Virgin Mary, a vision of Christ present in the Eucharist and a mystical encounter in which Saint Vincent de Paul was shown her heart.

This year marks the 190th anniversary of the Marian apparitions to Saint Catherine Labouré in Paris.

During their Marian pilgrimage, the Vincentian missionaries will distribute educational materials on Saint Catherine Labouré and miraculous medals.

St. Maximilian Kolbe, who died in Auschwitz in 1941, was a staunch supporter of the graces that can accompany the Miraculous Medal.

He said: “Even if a person is the worst kind, if he only agrees to wear the medal, give it to him… and then pray for him, and at the appropriate time strive to bring him closer to his Immaculate Mother, so that he will turn to her in all the difficulties and temptations “.

"This is truly our heavenly weapon", said the saint, describing the medal as "a bullet with which a faithful soldier hits the enemy, that is evil, and thus saves souls"