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PRESS RELEASE – Three Days with Mary: in October in Italy the national pilgrimage of the image of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal will begin anew.

da | Set 21, 2022 | Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Pilgrimage, Saint Catherine Labouré

The national pilgrimage of the statue of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal that began on November 11, 2020 (Vatican City) with the blessing of Pope Francis will begin anew. This initiative began as a manner to commemorate the 190thanniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Mother to Saint Catherine Laboure and is sponsored by the Missionaries of the Congregation of the Mission in Italy with the collaboration of the wider Vincentian Family.

In each center that is visited, there will be “three days with Mary” because, as Father Vaslerio Di Trapani, superior of the provincial house of the Congregation of the Mission and of the Leonine College in Rome, stated:  during this pastoral year the Lord has made us see the ever more-urgent need to reach out to others, to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God so that people might discover Mary as a woman who lived her life with integrity, as a woman who was happy and fully realized as a human person. Therefore, we are attempting to reach out to the ecclesial communities that desire to embrace the proposal of the Vincentian Missionaries in order to encourage and animate the parish community providing them with catechetical instruction, prayer, the sacrament of Reconciliation, visits to vulnerable and infirm individuals, meetings with children and adolescents. 

Despite the many difficulties (including logistical problems that resulted from COVID-19), more than 200 parishes have already been visited and received the image of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. People have given witness to the fact that this pilgrimage has been a time of spiritual grace and growth.

The pilgrimage will resume but take on a broader perspective: looking toward November 27, 2030 when we will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the encounter between the Blessed Mother and Saint Catherine Laboure. Catherine was a young Daughter of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul to whom the Blessed Mother appeared. Mary spoke to Catherine during a lengthy encounter and stated: These are very sad times. Misfortunes afflict France. The entire world will be engulfed in sadness. But if people come to the foot of this altar, there graces will be spread over all those who ask for them with confidence and fervor … I have always been watchful over you. Again, on November 27, 1839, Catherine saw the Blessed Mother. This time the Virgin held in her hand a globe (representing all of humankind). Catherine was awed by the Virgin’s beauty and was entrusted with a mission to have a medal made and was promised: everyone who wears it around their neck will receive great graces. 

Father Valerio explains: During this time of pilgrimage moving toward 2030, each year we will focus on a theme that will be developed during the three days. This year, remembering the “Light” of Saint Louise de Marillac, we want to highlight to protagonism of the Holy Spirit. Four hundred years ago, on June 4, 1623, Saint Louise was enlightened by the Holy Spirit who helped her dispel all her doubts. At that time, Louise came to the understanding that she would pronounce vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in a small community dedicated to the service of the poor and would be involved in a continual movement of coming and going. The Holy Spirit was a protagonist in the vocational choice of Louise de Marillac just as he was a protagonist in the vocational choice of the Blessed Mother.

Father Valerio continued: At the conclusion of each stop on the pilgrimage, we will provide the parishioners with some reflection pamphlets on the theme of the year. Thus, the acceptance of the image of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal will not be an isolated event, but rather an event that will continue to draw the community together to pray, reflect and share their thoughts on the proposed themes. 

Those interested in promoting this time brief time of pastoral animation with two Vincentian Missionaries and the image of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal should contact Father Valerio Di Trapani at padrevaleriocm@gmail.com so that this experience of pastoral animation can be organized.

October 2022

  1. Sunday, October 2 – Wednesday, October 5 (afternoon): Ischia, Buon Pastore.
  2. Wednesday, October 5 (afternoon) – Saturday, October 8 (evening): Ischia, Campagnano. 
  3. Sunday, October 9 (morning) – Wednesday, October 12 (afternoon): Ischia, Casamicciola. 
  4. Thursday, October 13 – Sunday, October 16: Vinci (Florence), Apparita – Parish of Saint Pantaleone and Our Lady of Fatima.
  5. Monday, October 24 – Thursday October 27: Meta di Civitella Roveto (L’Aquilla) -Parish of the Blessed Trinity.
  6. Thursday, October 27 – Sunday, October 30: Civitela Roverto (L’Aquilla) – Parish of Saint John the Baptist.

November – December 2022

  • Wednesday, November 30 – Saturday, December 3: Casagiove (Caserta) – St. Michael’s Church.
  • Monday, December 5 – Thursday, December 8: Como – Chiesa del Gesú.

May 2023

  • Wednesday, May 3 – Saturday, May 6: Lauria (Potenza) – Parish of Saint James, Apostle.
  • Wednesday, May 17 – Saturday, May 20: Fondi (Latina) – Cathedral of Saint Peter.

For information and updates

page FB Medaglia Miracolosa pellegrina

Press Office

Elena Grazini 

Vincentian Family 

+39 338 190 24 36

elena@elenagrazini.it

PRESS RELEASE – Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Lombardia and Piemonte (Italian regions, June 2021)

da | Giu 2, 2021 | Apparitions of the Blessed Mother to Saint Catherine Labouré, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Pilgrimage

On November 11, 2020, when Pope Francis blessed the image of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in the Vatican, the pilgrimage of this image began on the occasion of the 190th anniversary of the apparitions to Saint Catherine Laboure. This initiative is promoted by the Congregation of the Mission in Italy in collaboration with the worldwide Vincentian Family.

In June the pilgrimage will take place in the areas of Lombardy and Piedmont.

Today, like 1830, the world is devastated by poverty, violence, and a health and financial crisis. The Blessed Mother invites us to the foot of the altar. After 190 years the Blessed Mother continues to provide for us … and she does so because her love is unwavering. On the night of July 18-19, 1830, the Blessed Mother appeared for the first time to Catherine Labouré, a young Daughter of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. This was a rather lengthy encounter in which the Blessed Mother stated: The times are very evil. Misfortunes afflict France and the entire world will experience misfortunes of every sort … But come to the foot of this altar, there abundant graces will be spread over all those who ask for them with confidence and fervor. They will be given to the great and the small. Then once again, on November 27th, 1830, the Blessed Mother appeared again to Catherine Labouré, holding in her hands a small globe (representing humankind). Catherine contemplated her beauty and accepted the mission to make a medal: the persons who wear this medal will receive great graces.

The members of the worldwide Vincentian Family, faithful to the Word of God, inspired by the charism which calls them to serve God in the person of the poor and encouraged by this initiative of the Blessed Mother to go on pilgrimage, want to remind us that the Blessed Mother continues to invite men and women to approach the foot of the altar.

June 1: the statue Will be brought from Toscanny to Canneto sull’Oglio.
June 2: transported to Abbiategrasso and on the morning of June 3, to Piedmont. There it will remain in the parish of Saint Paul until 19:45 when he it will be brought to the parish of Santa Maria Resucitada and remain there until 4:00am. Then it shall be returned to Lombardy (the province of Pavía) with the following schedule”

June 4: in the Cathedral of Vigevano (from 11am to noon); then to Mortara, the headquarters of Vincentian Volunteers until 16:00 hours on June 5.

June 5: depart for Milan and arrive at the parish of San Vicente de Prato where it will remain until the afternoon of June 6th.

June 7: moved to the Vincentian Volunteer Center (Via Ariberto) where it will remain until 14:00 hours; in the afternoon moved to Soma Lombardo (VA) and will remain there until the night of June 8 when it will be transported to the Province of Como arriving in Cucciago at 9:00am. At night it will be move to the house of the Congregation of the Mission in Como and on June 10 to the parish of Saint Bartholomew.

June 11: the image will be brought to the Shrine of Santa María de las Gracias (9:30am)

June 12: arrive in San Pellegrino Terme at 21:00 hours and remain there until the night of the 13th.

June 14: brought to Seregno in the morning and remain there until the morning of the 15th. June 15: brought to Cassano D’Adda in the morning and remain there until the afternoon of the 16th.

The image will be in Pallanza Verbania on June 17-18 with the following schedule:
June 17: the house of Saint Louise of the Daughters of Charity in Pallanza (in the morning and the first hour of the afternoon); then in the parish of Trobaso in the afternoon; also in the afternoon, at parish of the Immaculate Conception and Saint Bernadine in Pallanza; June 18 chapel of the Miraculous Medal in the morning; the parish of Saint Leonard in Pallanza in the afternoon.

The next stop will be Pavia:
June 19-20 in the cathedral.
June 21-22 at the house of the Daughters of Charity (San Salvario) and then on the afternoon of the 22nd to the parish of San Donato. From there it will travel to Grugliasco to the Daughters of Charity, the community of S. Giuseppe and S. Maria. Then once again to Turin to the parish of the Resurrection on the 23 (16:30 hours) and will remain there until the afternoon of the 24th. It will then be transferred to the parish of Maria Esperanza Nuestra where it will remain for June 26-27. Then then image will be returned to Milan, to the parish of Saihnt Michael the Archangel until late in the evening of June 28th.

After 190 years, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal continues to watch over humankind and comes, as a pilgrim, to visit and to the meet with the members of the Christian communities spread throughout Italy. Thus, Mary fulfills the promise of love that is contained in her message: I will be remain with you, trust and do not be discouraged.

Elena Grazini
Press Office
Vincentian Family
+39 338 190 24 36 elena@elenagrazini.it

press@famvin.org +39 338 190 24 36