[Illustration: _SISTER CATHERINE LABOURÉ,
The Daughter of Charity, favored with the Vision of the Miraculous
Medal in 1830. Died December 31, 1876._]
THE
MIRACULOUS MEDAL
ITS
_Origin, History, Circulation, Results_.
BY M. ALADEL, C.M.
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH,
BY P.S.,
Graduate of St. Joseph's, Emmitsburg, Md.
ILLUSTRATED.
PHILADELPHIA:
H.L. KILNER & CO.,
PUBLISHERS.
COPYRIGHT, 1880, BY JOHN B. PIET.
DEDICATION.
TO
THE MOST COMPASSIONATE VIRGIN MARY,
MOTHER OF GOD, CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN.
_Oh Mary, conceived without sin, Virgin incomparable, august Mother of
Jesus, thou who hast adopted us for thy children, and who hast given us
so many proofs of thy maternal tenderness, deign to accept this little
book, feeble token of our gratitude and love!_
_Oh! may it be instrumental in attracting and attaching inviolably to
thee, the hearts of all who read it!_
_O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!_
_AUTHOR'S DECLARATION._
In conformity with the decree of Pope Urban VIII, we declare that
the terms miracle, revelation, apparition and other expressions of a
similar nature here employed, have, in our intention, no other than a
purely historical value, and that we submit unreservedly the entire
contents of this book to the judgment of the Apostolic See.
PREFACE OF THE AMERICAN PUBLISHER.
Since the hour when the Beloved Disciple took the Blessed Virgin to
his own, the followers of her Divine Son have always cherished a
reverential affection for her above all other creatures. They have
regarded her as the ideal of all that is true and pure and sweet and
noble in the Christian life, and they have honored her as the most
favored of mortals, the greatest of saints, the masterpiece of the
Almighty. The peculiar veneration paid to her by the Apostles, was
caught up by the first Christians, who regarded her with awe because
of her great dignity; and when she died, her memory was held in
benediction. But death could not sever her from those who, in the
person of St. John, had been given to her for her children. She still
lived for the Church. From the time when the faithful took refuge
in the Catacombs to the fifth century, when the Council of Ephesus
solemnly sanctioned the homage paid to her as the Mother of God, her
intercession was often invoked; and from that day, devotion towards her
has increased until our own age, when the nations of the earth unite to
proclaim her Blessed.
Often has Mary given signal proofs of the pleasure she takes in the
devotion of her clients and of the power she possesses to grant their
petitions. Graces asked through her mediation have been suddenly
obtained; wonders in the way of cures and conversions have been wrought
at her shrines; disasters have been averted; plagues have been made
to cease; and, to crown all her favors, apparitions have occurred, in
which she has shown herself, radiant with the lustre of Heaven, to
her loyal servants; and, in some instances, she has left something
like the scapular, the Miraculous Medal and the fount in the grotto of
Lourdes, as memorials of her visit.
These manifestations of her maternal solicitude have of late been more
frequent, more renowned, and more efficacious than ever. As the end
draws near and the dangers increase, her anxiety for the sanctification
of her own bursts its bonds and urges her to find new ways to the
hearts of men. Among the most recent of these demonstrations, the
Miraculous Medal is one of the most remarkable. How it originated,
how rapidly and widely it has circulated, and how gloriously it has
fulfilled its mission, are told in this book. A more interesting and
edifying history could not easily have been written. To all children of
Mary, in America as elsewhere, it will be welcome, and for them this
edition has been prepared by
THE PUBLISHER.
May 4, 1880.
PREFACE TO THE FRENCH EDITION
[Illustration]
The eighth and last edition of THE HISTORY OF THE MIRACULOUS
MEDAL, extending up to the year 1842, has for a long time been
out of print. More than once efforts have been made to have a new
edition published, but until now they have failed. The recent death
of the Sister who was favored with the Blessed Virgin's confidence,
has again excited a general desire for the work; for many persons are
eager to learn the origin of the medal, and others hope to get the full
particulars of it. For these reasons, the present edition has been
undertaken.
Believing that it would gratify our readers, we have placed at the
beginning of the book a biographical sketch of the privileged Sister,
Catherine Labouré, and to it we have added some notes concerning M.
Aladel, her Director, who was the author of the previous editions.
These editions of the History presented but a very condensed account
of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin in 1830; for serious reasons
induced M. Aladel to suppress many things. He feared especially to
attract attention to the humble daughter who had transmitted Heaven's
orders, and who, it was best, should remain unknown to the end of her
life.
Now, these fears are no longer an obstacle, and we are permitted to
publish, for the edification of the faithful, all that the Sister
revealed, at least, all that we still possess of these communications.
At the time of the last edition, M. Aladel could understand but
imperfectly the import of the vision of the medal, but certain events
of subsequent occurrence, have placed this important revelation in a
clearer light, and fully established its connection with the past and
the future. We have endeavored to show the designs of Providence, by
proving that the apparition of 1830 was not an isolated fact; that
it marked the end of a disastrous period for the Church and society;
that it was the beginning of a new era, an era of mercy and hope; that
it was a preparation for the definition of the Immaculate Conception
as a dogma of faith; in fine, that it was the first of a series of
supernatural manifestations, which have greatly increased devotion to
the Blessed Virgin, insomuch, that our age may justly be styled the age
of Mary.
We have judged it advisable to omit quite a number of miraculous
occurrences related in the preceding editions, and substitute for them
others not less authentic, but more recent, thus demonstrating that
the medal is as efficacious in our days, as it was at the time of its
origin.
We ask those who may hereafter obtain similar favors, to send an
account of them, together with satisfactory vouchers of their
authenticity, to the Superior-General of the Daughters of Charity, rue
du Bac, 140, or to the Director of the Daughters of Charity, rue de
Sevres, 95, Paris.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
DEDICATION, iii
THE AUTHOR'S DECLARATION, v
PREFACE, vii
CHAPTER I.
Sister Catherine, Daughter of Charity--Her Birth--Early
Life--Vocation--Entrance into the Community--Apparition of
the Blessed Virgin--The Medal--Sister Catherine is sent to
d'Enghien Hospital--Her humble, hidden Life--Her Death.
1