The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Paris

With it being May, the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, what better time to share a little something about the Chapel of Notre Dame de la Medaille Miraculeuse in Paris, France.  The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal was originally a smaller, private conventual chapel of the Daughters of Charity, and it was here within this chapel that the young St. Catherine Labouré is said to have had her vision of the Blessed Virgin, the first such apparition occurring on July 18, 1830. In that regard, this chapel is not merely a place dedicated to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, it is a pilgrimage site for those devoted to the same. 

As this devotion spread, the chapel began to be enlarged in size and opened up to the public in order to accommodate the many pilgrims who wish to make pilgrimage to this site. These efforts took place in 1849 and then again in 1930 when gallery levels were added. Further modifications were also undertaken in the 1970's when a free-standing altar was installed and the railing near the historical 19th century high altar removed.

The chapel as it appeared between 1930-1970.

The chapel as it is today

The core architecture of the chapel is quite straightforward in many regards -- though the addition of the gallery levels certainly hides that simplicity to a certain degree. At its core, however, it is a singular, open space capped with a simple barrel vault supported by simple, slender columns.  However, what is especially striking in the chapel-- and what first drew my own attention to it -- is the beautiful fresco by André Mériel-Bussy (+1984) found on the triumphal arch -- a fresco which depicts St. Catherine  Labouré's vision. 

 

Also of note are the two beautiful mosaics found on each of the two side aisles, one surrounding the statue and relic of St. Vincent de Paul, the other accompanying the relic and shrine of St. Louise de Marillac.

Altar of St. Vincent de Paul

Shrine of St. Louise de Marillac.

It is also worth taking a brief look at the historical high altar of the chapel, an altar very French in its style and containing the iconic crowned statue of the Virgin of Grace. (It was here, in this way, that the final vision of the Virgin was said to have manifest itself.) The statue was crowned by the pontifical decree of Pope Leo XIII on March 2, 1897

The historic high altar (regrettably devoid of its historical candlesticks and candlebra). The tabernacle is the oldest extant piece found within the chapel. 

Our Lady of Grace

A simple, noble and very French chapel.

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