Our Lady Of The Miraculous Medal

In 1830, a vision of the Virgin Mary appeared to a young Catholic Sister. Mary presented a model of a medal to this woman. The front side of this medal depicted Mary crushing a serpent and standing on top of a globe that represented France. The back side featured two hearts--one for Mary and one for Jesus--as well as twelve stars, a cross, and a large letter M for Mary. The rich details and symbolism of the Sister's apparition lead operatives of the Catholic Church to mint medals based on the design.In June of 1832, by issuance of the Archbishop of Paris, 1,500 Virgin Mary medals were produced. At the time of minting, France's Catholics were facing numerous crises of faith. The popularity of the Our Lady of The Miraculous Medal mintings helped inspire a religious resurgence in the country. As a result, many attributed faith conversions and healings to Our Lady of The Miraculous Medal.Sister Catherine lived in anonymity for the rest of her life. It wasn't until just before her death in December of 1876 that it became known that she was the one who had the vision of Mary, and thus was Our Lady of The Miraculous Medal. Her funeral was a major affair in Paris at the time. It is said that a young 12-year-old child who was crippled from a neonatal injury was suddenly cured at the grave of Sister Catherine.Sister Catherine was honored with canonization in 1947. Today, millions of Catholics relieve the piety and exultation of Sister Catherine's vision through minted reprints of the Miraculous medal. Original pieces from the early printings in Paris can resell at auction for tens of thousands of dollars. Even more modern reprintings tend to attract a lot of attention from investors, both for their symbolic and monetary value.