Seventy-thousand Miraculous Medals are now hanging near the hearts of 70,000 Catholic school students in Southern California.
The blessings they’ll bring this Christmas season are thanks to a one-of-a-kind gift for students in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and a dream come true for the anonymous donor who bought them. The medals, which carry a sacred promise from Mary, were blessed and handed out in most schools on Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Perhaps none were more excited than the students at St. Catherine Labouré School in Torrance, whose namesake originally created the medals in Mary’s honor. The commotion was so loud, it reverberated throughout the campus.
“We were in the office and all of a sudden we heard a roar of student noise. They were just so excited to have them,” said Tricia Holmquist, Ed.D., principal of St. Catherine’s. “It became a day of celebration.”
That celebration was repeated at every Catholic school from Los Angeles County to Santa Barbara County.
The benefactor explained that they were on a 10-year “mission” of gifting medals and had already done so in other cities, such as San Francisco and Sacramento. The motivation stemmed from the medal’s origin story, and the belief that “the Blessed Mother promised to provide special graces and protection to anyone wearing the medal around the neck.”
Full story at Angelus News.
69,500 will end up lost or in the trash. I used to be a kid. I used to get similar “gifts” handed out to all students at school. They ended up in the trash.
Furthermore, the belief that wearing the medal will provide protection is superstitious. It’s a sacramental, not a talisman.
The medal does not provide the protection. Mary does.
Blessed objects should not be put in the trash.
If someone does not want theirs, they should offer it to another person who would appreciate it.
I know people who still have all their holy cards from grade school.
“The Second Vision
The second apparition occurred four months later. Our Lady returned to the Mother House at the Rue du Bac in Paris. Here are Catherine’s own words about the apparition:
‘On the 27th of November, 1830 … while making my meditation in profound silence … I seemed to hear on the right hand side of the sanctuary something like the rustling of a silk dress. Glancing in that direction, I perceived the Blessed Virgin standing near St. Joseph’s picture. Her height was medium and Her countenance, indescribably beautiful. She was dressed in a robe the color of the dawn, high-necked, with plain sleeves. Her head was covered with a white veil, which floated over Her shoulders down to her feet. Her feet rested upon a glove, or rather one half of a globe, for that was all that could be seen. Her hands, which were on a level with Her waist, held in an easy manner another globe, a figure of the world. Her eyes were raised to Heaven, and Her countenance beamed with light as She offered the globe to Our Lord. As I was busy contemplating Her, the Blessed Virgin fixed Her eyes upon me, and a voice said in the depth of my heart:
‘This globe which you see represent the whole world, especially France, and each person in particular.’ “There now formed around the Blessed Virgin a frame rather oval in shape on which were written in letters of gold these words: ‘O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.’ Then a voice said to me: ‘Have a medal struck upon this model. All those who wear it, when it is blessed, will received great graces especially if they wear it round the neck,. Those who repeat this prayer with devotion will be in a special manner under the protection of the Mother of God. Graces will be abundantly bestowed upon those who have confidence.’”….did St. Catherine Laboure get it wrong too?
https://www.daughtersofcharity.com/who-we-are/miraculous-medal/
I am very pleased to see this being done, being taught.
So important to use everything we have been given.
So many of the comments on this website, tragically reflect a very poor understanding of the Catholic Faith– and no respect at all for our Church. These Catholic schoolchildren were given a tremendous gift of Our Blessed Mother. To wear the Miraculous Medal does help protect you, as it is a blessed sacramental. Many big and small miracles do happen daily, to people who wear Our Lady’s Miraculous Medal– whether they are Catholic or not. Plus, it helps to make you aware of Our Blessed Mother, and stimulates prayer to her and to Jesus, with many graces from Heaven flowing, when you ask her, in prayer. There are many promises of Our Lady to faithful Catholics who wear this medal– and her promises are all true. Just like the promises of the Rosary are all true. It helps sick and dying patients in the hospital, whether they are Catholic or not, to offer to pin a little blessed Miraculous Medal to their hospital gown or pillow. Blessed acramentals are holy, like holy relics, and can help with healing, protect you from harm– or lessen the harm, in dire situations, even save you from death– and will also stimulate prayer, and conversions. I have worn a blessed Miraculous Medal lifelong, and belong to a religious association that promotes the Miraculous Medal. Many miracles, healings, conversions, etc., are constantly reported, big or small, from Our Lady, through her Miraculous Medal. That is why she gave it to St. Catherine Laboure.
if Our Lady said it will provide protection if the right conditions are met, it in fact will be a means for her protection to be granted in the battle. Moses’ snake raised on a pole to save those who looked upon it was not a talisman but an event. The blood daubed on Jewish doors at the Exodus event let the avenging angels pass over homes so marked. God works in very incarnated ways when He wants.
I know people who believe that reverencing the Divine Mercy image means they get a ticket to heaven.
Well, the Divine Mercy devotion, like all approved religious devotions, has to be a daily part of the practicing Catholic’s life, as an aid to help the soul’s journey to Heaven. Spiritual life is not easy. It is wonderful to have lots of spiritual help, like the Rosary, Divine Mercy Devotion, Stations of the Cross, “Totus tuus” 33-day Monfort Marian Consecration, and lots more.
I was happy to see this. That said, sometimes superstition can surround sacramentals. It isn’t generally wise to teach children that wearing a medal or scapular will cause Our Lady or Our Lord to “protect them.” They still need to learn to exercise good judgment. Among other things, they need to play safely, exercise caution when walking, etc. As Our Lord says, the rain falls on the good and the bad alike. Some suffering is inevitable. And, we should remember that Catholics are not bound to believe this private revelation to Saint Catherine Labouré. If it strengthens your faith, by all means, avail yourself of the grace of God. And, please, be respectful of your brothers and sisters who choose not to wear this medal or participate in other devotions based on private revelation.
I am disappointed in your comment.
Would you mind sharing why?
Thank you for asking. I feel like a clergyman should be “all in.” You seem as if you feel “if you believe in it fine. If you don’t, fine.”
An openness to private revelations is a great grace because you can get a lot of assistance and assurance from them.
In my experience, the people who don’t believe in approved private revelations also don’t believe entirely in the Faith.
Thank you. I “hear you.” I am “all in” for the Faith of Christ and His Church, as expressed in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, the Creeds and Councils and teachings of the Magisterium. Years ago, a wise priest taught me, “Be dogmatic where the Church is dogmatic and not where She is not.” Should all wear a Miraculous Medal? Should all wear a brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel? Or a St. Benedict scapular? Should all pray Saint Faustina’s Chaplet of Divine Mercy? Should all pray the Jesus Prayer? Should all do the Total Consecration of St. Louis de Montfort? You get my point. Those decisions should be left up to individuals after prayerful consideration and even talking with one’s spiritual director or confessor. It seems we all, especially those of us who are clergy, have to be careful about not trying to impose our preferred or favored devotion(s) on others. What’s my favorite devotional practice? Many, if not most, of my parishioners don’t know. I encourage all legitimate Catholic devotions. And, remember what the Church teaches, “Throughout the ages, there have been so-called ‘private’ revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.” (Catechism #67)
I understand and agree that as clergy you cannot tell people that they have to do things that they do not have to do.
But you should encourage them and let them know about them and the help that God has given to us.
The internet is helping in this.
I do not know what a St. Benedict scapular is. I have heard of a St. Benedict medal.
I’m disappointed that you’re disappointed.
Anonymous clergyman– get with it! Develop a devotion to Our Blessed Mother, and do great good for her and her Son, Jesus! Ven. Abp. Fulton J. Sheen loved Our Lady, and always gave out her blessed Miraculous Medals to everyone! The Miraculous Medal apparitions of Our Lady are fully approved by the Church, just like the apparitions of Our Lady at Lourdes, Fatima, or in Mexico, with Our Lady of Guadalupe. None of these events are mere “private revelations,” to be scorned… Yes, sacramentals do help you, and protect you from evil and danger, by faith! You may also receive many graces and miracles, by prayer to Our Lady, and wearing her Miraculous Medal! Just like, if you go to Lourdes, and pray to Our Lady, and take the special healing baths, you may receive a cure, and many graces. Of course, it is all up to God, what He decides to give you. But He will always give you something good, and many wonderful graces– even if you are seriously ill, and He wants to take you to Heaven, like poor St. Bernadette! A child should be given the blessed Miraculous Medal and taught to daily honor Our Lady, and pray to her. If the child is ever in danger, remember the Miraculous Medal they are wearing, and pray to Our Lady, and she will help the child.
I know a person who was driving a friend’s car and almost had an accident that would have been very serious, if not fatal.
They did not know how how they had escaped.
Then they looked down and saw the Sacred Heart Driving League sacramental that this friend kept in their car.
They got one for their car.
They are a none.
That’s textbook superstition. How many people with St. Christopher medals die or are maimed in auto accidents? Oh, forgot. St. Christopher isn’t a saint anymore, so those medals are and were totally worthless. See?
God works in nysterious ways. Sacramentals are not “superstition.” Ask your parish priest to explain it all to you. Pray to Our Lady, see what she has to offer you! You nay be surprised!
Saint Christopher is still a saint.
Yes. This person has no religion, does not know God.
All they knew what that this religious object, which is supposed to protect drivers, worked for them.
They got one for their car.
Their interest was in keeping safe so it never went further than that.
The friend who owned the car never explained anything to them.
They were a Eucharistic minister and a lector but not an evangelist.
Of course, it is true, the Catholic Church does not require the faithful to believe in private revelations, such as the Marian apparitions– only the public revelations, which ended with the death of St. John the Apostle, and Deposit of Faith. But Our Lady is there to help us!
If you mean by “get with it!” that I be devoted to Our Lady, I can assure you that I am.
(I just may not satisfy the expectations of every Catholic and their particular, favored Marian devotion.)
As I noted, we should be dogmatic where the Church is dogmatic and not where She is not. We should be people of Christ and the Church first (even in the midst of a legitimate diversity of personal devotions). Of course, listen to Our Lady of Guadalupe or Fatima. Yet, respect those who may not wear a miraculous medal or scapular. That is the point I’m trying to make. We really are all “in this” together. Let us ask for the intercession of the Mother of God, most needed during this perilous time.
Ven. Abp. Fulton J. Sheen used to always keep a large supply of blessed Miraculous Medals on hand, to give out to everyone.
St. Catherine Laboure fully described her wondrous apparitions of Our Lady. Among other things, Our Blessed Mother had beautiful rings on each of the fingers of her exquisite hands, extended in blessing, with beautiful gems on each of the rings, and dazzling rays emitted from each of the gems– some smaller, some larger. Our Blessed Mother explained to St. Catherine, that the gems from which no rays emitted, happened because people forgot to ask for her graces. I always thought it was important, to remember that.
O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!
A French lady in Nice, France, Marie-Aude Tardivo, who is a translator for English, Russian and Ukranian languages, decided to send 1,000 Miraculous Medals to the suffering people of Ukraine. She knew the suffering Ukranians would rather have icons of Our Lady– but she was not able to send icons. So, the Miraculous Medals would have to do. Soon, donations of 4,000 more Miraculous Medals were sent to her. She got the children at her son’s Catholic school in Nice to help prepare the holy Medals in attractive, tiny religious packages, and they sent them off. Ukranians who have received the Miraculous Medals have been deeply grateful.
If anyone else wants to do this, google Miraculous Medal Bulk.
You could do it for Sunday School kids.