The Miraculous Medal: Its Origin, History, Circulation, ResultsAladel, Jean-Marie
Religion
The Miraculous Medal: Its Origin, History, Circulation, Results
Aladel, Jean-Marie
Labouré, Catherine, Saint, 1806-1876; Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint; Miraculous Medal
These little incidents, regulated by Providence, were not lost; they
increased the confidence of the wise Director. When the pictures were
placed in the Seminary, M. Aladel discreetly took measures to have
Sister Catherine come to see them, just at the very time he would
be there as if by chance. Another Sister, accidentally meeting them
there, has a suspicion of the truth, and turning suddenly to the worthy
Father, she says: "This is certainly the Sister who had the vision!"
He is greatly embarrassed, and sees no way of extricating himself from
the difficulty, except by calling upon Sister Catherine to answer. She
laughed, saying: "You have guessed well," but with such simplicity that
the other Sister said to the Father: "Oh! I see plainly that it is not
she; you would not have asked her to tell me."
During the course of her long life, Sister Catherine was subjected to
trials of this sort.
The details Mgr. de Quélen had received from M. Aladel concerning
the vision of the medal interested him deeply, and he was anxious to
become acquainted with the favored Sister. M. Aladel replied that
the Sister insisted upon remaining unknown. "As for that," said His
Grace, "she can put on a veil and speak to me without being seen." M.
Aladel excused himself anew, saying it was for him a secret of the
confessional.
M. Ratisbonne, miraculously converted in 1842 by the apparition of the
Miraculous Medal, also ardently desired to speak with the Sister first
favored by this celestial vision, and he often but vainly entreated her
Director's permission.
Those around her frequently asked embarrassing questions, or
expressed their suspicions. When too closely pressed, she found means
of making the curious feel their indiscretion, so that it was not
repeated. Moreover, her great simplicity ordinarily disconcerted her
interrogators.
On several occasions, the Blessed Virgin seemed to aid her; thus, in
the investigation of 1836, and in the deposition made to the Promoter,
M. Aladel declared that he had vainly endeavored to persuade Sister
Catherine to be present, he could not overcome her repugnance; and
moreover, they would interrogate her to no purpose, she had forgotten
everything concerning the event.
The same thing happened one day, it is said, in the presence of M.
Étienne, then Superior General; he could not succeed in making her
speak, she remembered nothing. It is this which gave rise to the rumor
in the Community, that the vision was completely effaced from the
memory of the Sister who had been favored with it.
Thanks to this opinion, Sister Catherine was enabled to remain long
years truly concealed in her modest duties; employed first in the
kitchen, then in the clothes-room; afterwards, for nearly forty years,
she had charge of the old men's ward of the Hospital d'Enghien,
combining with this duty the care of the poultry yard.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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