St. Catherine Laboure Folder 11/25

"Saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors responded to God's invitation to use his or her unique gifts. God calls each one of us to be a saint."


St. Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal -- November 25 and 27

Miraculous Medal coloring pages here.

coloring page of Saint Catherine Laboure from Faith Keepers CD, here.

Read more about this Saint HERE.  Read this explanation of the miraculous medal at Under Her Starry Mantle, HERE and see the beautiful mobile Anne made.  

Can you keep a secret? Saint Catherine Laboure kept secret for 45 years that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her.
The ninth of eleven children, Catherine Laboure was born in 1806 to a successful farming family. When she was nine years old, her mother died.  Catherine was very sad at the loss of her mother, and kneeling before a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary, said "Mary, you will be my mother now. Help me to be good."

Catherine already knew what she wanted to do. A few years before, during a visit to a hospital run by the Sisters of Charity, she 'met' an old man in a vision who told her that God wanted her to work with the sick. Catherine decided that she would join the Sisters of Charity and follow God's will. Some time later, she saw a picture of the old man, and learned that it was Saint Vincent de Paul, who had died many years earlier.

When Catherine was a novice, an angel appeared to her and told her to go to the chapel. In the chapel, Catherine met Our Blessed Mother, who spoke to her, asking her to help spread devotion to her Immaculate Conception.

Twice more, the Blessed Virgin appeared to Catherine, telling her to have a medal made, showing on one side the Blessed Mother and the words 'O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee' and on the other side the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Catherine agreed, though she wondered how she would ever find anyone who believed her and would help her. But her confessor and other priests did agreed to help her cause.

Even after the medal was made and the devotion to it had spread all over the world, her confessor was the only one who knew that Catherine Laboure was the nun who had seen the Blessed Virgin and received her messages.  Only near to her death, when she was trying to carry out the Virgin Mary's last request, that a statue be made, did Catherine finally break her silence and tell her superior every thing.

When Catherine died, her superior shared her story with the rest of her Sisters, who were astonished at the treasure they had dwelling in their midst all those years. Her funeral Mass was one of great joy and celebration, the songs of sorrow and mourning were spontaneously abandoned for songs of joy and thanksgiving. For Catherine, for the Miraculous Medal, and for our great God Who loves us so much.

Prayer: Our Lady said to St. Catherine Laboure, "My child, GOD wishes to entrust you with a mission."

                 St. Catherine Laboure, pray for us !

 

Click on HERE to see a listing, in order, of all the Saints and Feast Day folders for the liturgical year, or click on the picture of the Archangels folder on my top right sidebar.

Also, Xhonane at Familia Catolica has a similar post HERE listing the liturgical folders she has made thus far, and she will add to it as well. Xhonane just posted about this Saint yesterday, HERE.