I’ve long been a devotee of the Miraculous Medal devotion, and I’ve worn one around my neck for years, so I was very excited to see this new children’s book by Shaun McAfee: Saint Catherine Labouré and the Miraculous Medal.
As McAfee states in the Author’s Note:
The Miraculous Medal is a beautiful sign of Mary’s love for all her children. It reminds us that she is our Mother in heaven, always praying for us and leading us to her son, Jesus. When we wear it with faith, we are saying, “Mary, help me to love Jesus the way you do.”
This book shares the story of young Zoe Labouré, born in France in 1806, and how she longed to be a nun. She desired to serve God quietly and never draw attention to herself. She rejoiced when she joined the Daughters of Charity and chose the name Catherine. She soon began to have visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in which our Blessed Mother asked her to have a medal made with the image she showed her.
Her spiritual director presented the request to the bishop, who agreed to have the medal made and requested that he be the first to own one. The Daughters of Charity distributed the medal, originally known as the Medal of Our Lady of Graces, to all who were sick or struggling. Soon, miracles were reported. Within two years, over two million medals were made, and the medal became known as the Miraculous Medal.
At the end of this book, McAfee includes a section geared to older children and adults, explaining more about the image and symbolism of the Miraculous Medal.
The illustrations by Jennifer Beam are charming and add to the text, bringing the tale of St. Catherine Labouré and the Miraculous Medal to life. This book is a lovely way to introduce children to this powerful medal and devotion. It would be a blessing to give children a Miraculous Medal along with reading the book.
Saint Catherine Labouré and the Miraculous Medal is available through Tan Books or Amazon.
To learn more about the Miraculous Medal and to order medals, visit The Association of the Miraculous Medal.
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