St. Catherine Laboure, 1806-1876, Zoe Laboure; Catherine Labore
The humble Sister of Charity who saw Virgin Mary in Paris and gave her the Miraculous Medal. Body incorrupt in Rue-de-Bac, Paris, near the incorrupt body of St. Vincent de Paul

    Ninth of eleven children born to a farm family, and from an early age felt a call to the religious life. Never learned to read or write. Forced to take over running the house at age eight after her mother died and her older sister.

    Worked as a waitress in her uncle's cafe in Paris. Upon entering a hospital run by the Sisters of Charity she received a vision in which Saint Vincent de Paul told her that God wanted her to work with the sick, and she later joined the order, taking the name Catherine.

    She always wanted to see her Guardian Angel, and on the night of July 18-19, 1830,  a child (perhaps her guardian angel) awakened Sister (now Saint) Catherine Labouré, a novice in the community of the Daughters of Charity in Paris, Rue de Bac, and summoned her to the chapel. There she met with the Virgin Mary sitting on a chair... I sat on that chair!... and spoke with her for several hours. During the conversation Mary said to her, “My child, I am going to give you a mission.”

    On November 27, 1830 she had a vision of Our Lady who described to her a medal which she wished struck. On one side it has the image of Our Lady, and the words, "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee"; on the other are the hearts of Jesus and Mary. Our Lady told Catherine that wearers of the medal would receive great graces, it has become known as the Miraculous Medal, and its wearing and devotion has spread worldwide. Look at November 27, http://www.amm.org/medal.htm

    For many years Catherine kept her secrets from all save her confessor, Father Aladel, priest of the Mission of Saint Vincent, who, wanting to be able to continue with his penitent, saw to it that she was not sent far from Paris, after he had fulfilled the first mission of having the Medal struck. He died, however, before having the statue made according to this second vision, as Our Lady desired. Catherine suffered much from her inability to accomplish the second part of her mission. When she finally confided this second desire of Our Lady to her Sister Superior, a statue of Our Lady, Queen of the World and Mediatrix of all Graces, was made for two Chapels of the nuns.

    Saint Catherine died in 1876, after spending her life in the domestic and agricultural duties associated with the kitchen and garden, and in general caring for the elderly of the Hospice of Enghien at Reuilly, only about three miles southeast of Paris. Among her writings recounting the apparitions, we read: “Oh, how beautiful it will be to hear it said: Mary is Queen of the universe. That will be a time of peace, joy and happiness which will be long... She will be borne like a banner and will make a tour of the world.” The Virgin foretold that this time would come only after “the entire world will be in sadness... Afterwards, peace.

    Her body is incorrupt placed in a small church in Rue de Bac, Paris. At half block there is the incorrupt body of Saint Vincent de Paul, founder of the Sisters of Charity. And it was very curious for me that the small church of Rue de Bac, with the incorrupt body of St. Catherine is always full of people, and the church where the incorrupt body of St. Vincent is there was always nobody, and it is a most beautiful place where you can even touch the body.

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintc11.htm   http://www.magnificat.ca/cal/engl/11-28.htm