It was the night of July 18th 1830. It was the city of Paris, France.

Sister Catherine Laboure' was in her convent room at 11:30 at night when an angel appeared to her as a young boy. He said, “Come to the chapel.  The Blessed Virgin is waiting for you.”

The angel led her to the sanctuary. He stood beside the chair used by the priest, and Catherine knelt outside the sanctuary and knelt down to pray.

Suddenly the angel said, "Here is the Blessed
Virgin."

There was a rustling of silk and a most beautiful lady came towards the armed chair.

Catherine went into the sanctuary and knelt beside the armed chair and put her hands upon the knees of the Blessed Virgin.

The Blessed Virgin said, "God wants you to do something special for Him. You will do it for His Glory. Dreadful times are coming for France. The government will be overthrown. Priests and Nuns will be persecuted. The Archbishop of Paris will be killed."

The Blessed Virgin Mary left. The angel indicated to Catherine to go back to her room.

This event lasted two hours.

Sister Catherine told her spiritual director that Our Lady had appeared to her, but he did not believe her. Our Lady had told Sister Catherine Laboure' that dreadful time were coming for France; that the
government would be overthrown and the priests and nuns would be persecuted. All these things did happen shortly afterwards. Our Lady had told Sister Catherine Laboure' that the Archbishop of Paris
would be killed and in actual fact he was shot to death.

Catherine wondered what work God wanted her to do, and her answer came on November 27, of the same year, 1830.

She was praying in the chapel with the other nuns. She heard the rustle of silk, just as she had heard before.

The Blessed Virgin appeared to her. In her hands was a small golden ball on top of which was a cross. She pressed it close to her heart. On her fingers were beautiful rings. Rays went out from some of the rings. The Blessed Virgin was looking up to heaven, and then lowered her eyes to Catherine. She said, “The globe you see represents the world.
The rays are symbols of the graces I shed on those who ask me for them. The rings from which no light goes out represents the graces which people forget to request from me."

She raised the ball to heaven as if offering it to God.

The Blessed Virgin then lowered her hands and brilliant rays shot from her hands.

An oval frame appeared behind her with the words, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

An image of the back of the medal also appeared. There was a cross, the letter M, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary; all of this was surrounded by 12 stars.

A voice said, “Have a medal made after this model. All who wear it, after it has been blessed will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck. Those who wear it with confidence will receive wonderful graces."

At first there were 2,000 medals and finally millions were made. Those who wore the medal were miraculously preserved from cholera and were cured even though they were at the point of death.

People began to say, “The medal is Miraculous”.  That is why it is called, “The Miraculous Medal.”
St. Catherine Laboure’ was concerned about 2 things:

1. That everyone who wore the medal would say, “O, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

And

2. That the medal be worn around the neck.