Monthly Archives: November 2013

November 29, 2013 · 6:00 am

Founding of the Daughters of Charity, November 29, 1633

Names of earliest Daughters of Charity

Names of the first Daughters of Charity.

November 29, 1633 is the founding date for the Company of the Daughters of Charity. The image seen here includes the names of the first Sisters. The first Sister on the list, Marguerite Naseau, had died in 1633, but Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac, the founders of the Community, considered Marguerite Naseau to be the first Daughter of Charity. Vincent speaks of Marguerite Naseau in his Conference of February 13, 1646:

“The first of these Sisters was a poor young woman from the country; I have to tell you this, Sisters, to let you see the Providence of God, who willed that your Company be composed of poor women, either by birth or by the choice they would make of poverty; yes, Sisters, I say poor women because you must be so in reality. This poor young woman had given herself to God to instruct, to the best of her knowledge, the children of her village and, while tending cattle, had learned to read almost on her own, for no one had taught her. She would stop a passerby and ask, ‘Monsieur, please tell me what these letters are, what this word means,’ and in this way she taught herself in order to teach others.

“Whenever she learned something, she taught her companions. We went to that place to give a mission, and God soon showed that this didn’t displease Him. When this dear young woman heard that people were looking after the sick in Paris, she wanted to serve them.We had her come here, and she was placed under the direction of Mlle Le Gras [Louise de Marillac] and at the service of the sick poor in Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet parish. A short time later she caught the plague and died at Saint-Louis Hospital. The Sister who was serving the sick at Saint-Sauveur took her place.

“And that, Sisters, was the beginning of your Company. As it wasn’t then what it is now, there’s reason to believe that it’s still not what it will be when God has perfected it as He wants it.”

(Translation by Sister Marie Poole, D.C., in Vincent de Paul, Correspondence, Conferences, and Documents, Volume 9).

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November 28, 2013 · 6:00 am

Feast of St. Catherine Laboure

Catherine and Mary statue

Statue showing Catherine Laboure kneeling before Blessed Mother, now on display in the Provincial Archives


(Image used with permission of the Daughters of Charity Provincial Archives)
November 28 is the feast day of St. Catherine Laboure. St Catherine Labouré was born on the 2nd of May 1806 at Fain les-Moutiers, a picturesque village of Burgundy, France. In 1830, during her novitiate with the Daughters of Charity in Paris, she received a number of apparitions of the Blessed Virgin, who confided to her the mission of having the Miraculous Medal made. For the next 46 years Catherine told no one except her confessor about the apparitions.

Catherine died on December 31, 1876. When her body was exhumed 57 years later, in connection with her cause for canonization, it was found to be in perfect condition. Her body can still be seen today in the Chapel of the Daughters of Charity Mother House. Catherine Laboure was canonized by Pope Pius XII on July 27, 1947.

The image seen here shows Catherine kneeling in front of Blessed Mother during one of the apparitions. It will be on display in the Provincial Archives through December 31 as part of our exhibit, “Oh Mary Conceived Without Sin”

“When I go to the Chapel I place myself before the good God and I say to Him: ‘Lord, here I am, give me what You will.’ If He gives me something, I am very pleased and I thank Him. If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him because I do not deserve anything. And then again, I tell Him all that passes through my mind; I recount my pains and my joys and … I listen. If you listen to Him, He will speak to you also, because with the good God it is necessary to speak and to listen.” — Catherine Laboure

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November 27, 2013 · 6:00 am

Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Miraculous Medal painting

Painting showing one side of the Miraculous Medal, now on display in the Provincial Archives

(Image used with permission of the Daughters of Charity Provincial Archives)
November 27 marks the first of three special feast days for the Company of the Daughters of Charity: the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. From July to November 1830, Catherine Laboure, then a Seminary Sister (novice) of the Daughters of Charity, was visited several times by Our Lady at the Mother House of the Daughters of Charity in Paris. During the apparition of November 27, 1830, Catherine saw Our Lady standing on a globe, with rays of light streaming from her outstretched hands. Framing the figure was an inscription: “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” Then Mary spoke to Catherine: “Have a medal struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck.” The vision then turned to show the reverse of the Medal: the letter M surmounted by a cross with a bar at its base; below this monogram, the Sacred Heart of Jesus crowned with thorns, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced with a sword.

With approval of the Catholic Church, the first medals were made in 1832 and were distributed in Paris. The medal quickly became a popular devotion, popularly known as the “Miraculous Medal” because of the many graces and blessings that were connected with the wearing of the medal.

The painting seen here, showing the reverse of the medal, will be on display in the Provincial Archives through December 31, as part of our exhibit: “Oh Mary Conceived Without Sin”.

November 28 is the feast of Catherine Laboure. Catherine will be the subject of our November 28 post.

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