History
The Medal of the Immaculate Conception, known as the Miraculous
Medal, is unique, as it was designed by the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Our Lady manifested this medal in a vision to St. Catherine
Laboure, a daughter of Charity, on November 27, 1830. St. Catherine
saw Our Lady standing on a globe, with dazzling rays of light
streaming from her outstretched hands surrounded by the
inscription, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have
recourse to thee.” Then Mary said to St. Catherine, “Have a medal
struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great
graces.
Eastern Province Roots
In 1915, Fr. Joseph Skelly, C.M. began a new ministry devoted to
promoting devotion to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. The
“Central Association of the Miraculous Medal” promotes devotion to
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal through a weekly novena in the MM
Shrine in Philadelphia. Vincentians also went out to area parishes
to give missions based on the novena, developing into a ministry
known as the ‘novena band.’ The Central Association also raises
funds for the seminary formation of Eastern Province Vincentians
and the support of our aged and infirm priests and brothers.
The Shrine Today
Today, the Association has over 1,000,000 members enrolled by
nearly 65,000 Promoters. There are 350,000 contributors to the
Association. The Miraculous
Medal Shrine in the Germantown section of Philadelphia is the
MM ‘s ‘birthplace’ in the USA where, since 1930 thousands have come
weekly to ‘make the novena’ to Our Lady. Every Monday, Vincentian
priests celebrate Mass, offer novena prayers, preach, hear
confessions, and preside at benediction.