The Miraculous Virgin Medal has its origins in the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Saint Catherine Labouré in 1830, at the convent on Rue du Bac in Paris. During these apparitions, Mary requested the creation of a medal according to a precise model, promising great graces to those who would wear it with faith. Very quickly, it was called the "miraculous medal" because of the many conversions, healings, and protections attributed to wearing it.
To wear this medal is to welcome a powerful sign of Mary's maternal tenderness, and a source of protection, faith, and comfort in times of trial. Today, it is one of the most widely worn medals in the Christian world.