Catherine Labouré
| Saint Catherine Labouré, D.C. | |
|---|---|
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| Sister of Charity, Marian visionary | |
| Born | Zoé Labouré May 2, 1806 Fain-lès-Moutiers, Côte-d'Or, France |
| Died | December 31, 1876 (aged 70) Enghien-les-Bains, Seine-et-Oise, France |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholicism |
| Beatified | May 28, 1933, Vatican by Pope Pius XI |
| Canonized | July 27, 1947, Vatican by Pope Pius XII |
| Major shrine | Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Paris, France |
| Feast | 28 November 31 December |
| Attributes | Daughters of Charity habit, Miraculous Medal |
| Patronage | Miraculous Medal, infirmed people, the elderly |
Saint Catherine Labouré, D.C.. (May 2, 1806 – December 31, 1876) (born Zoé Labouré) was a member of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and a Marian visionary who relayed the request from the Blessed Virgin Mary to create the famous Miraculous Medal of Our Lady of Graces worn by millions of Christians, both Roman Catholic and Protestant.
She was born in the Burgundy region of France to Pierre Labouré, a farmer, and Louise Madeleine Gontard, the ninth of 11 living children. Catherine's mother died on October 9, 1815, when Catherine was just nine years old. It is said that after her mother's funeral, Catherine picked up a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and kissed it saying, "Now you will be my mother." Her father's sister offered to care for his two youngest children, Catherine and Tonine. After he agreed, the sisters moved to their aunt's house at Saint-Rémy, a village nine kilometers from their home.
She was extremely devout, of a somewhat romantic nature, given to visions and intuitive insights. As a young woman, she became a member of the nursing order founded by Saint Vincent de Paul. She chose the Daughters of Charity after a dream about St. Vincent De Paul.
In April 1830, the remains of Saint Vincent de Paul were translated to the Vincentian church in Paris. The solemnities included a novena. On three successive evenings, upon returning from the church to the Rue du Bac, Catherine reportedly experienced in the convent chapel, a vision of what she took to be the heart of St. Vincent above a shrine containing a relic of bone from his right arm. Each time the heart appeared a different color, white, red, and crimson. She interpreted this to mean that the Vincentian communities would prosper, and that there would be a change of government. The convent chaplain advised her to forget the matter.
Sister Catherine Labouré stated that on July 19, 1830, the eve of the feast of Saint Vincent de Paul, she woke up after hearing the voice of a child calling her to the chapel, where she heard the Virgin Mary say to her, "God wishes to charge you with a mission. You will be contradicted, but do not fear; you will have the grace to do what is necessary. Tell your spiritual director all that passes within you. Times are evil in France and in the world."
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