At the age of nine, Catherine suffered the loss of her mother, turning to a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and proclaiming, "Now, dear Blessed Mother, YOU will be my Mother." From that day, her deep devotion to Christ and his Mother deepened, prompting her to walk miles each morning to attend Mass and pray before beginning her household chores. At the age of 24, after much persistence against her father's wishes, she joined the Daughters of Charity, a religious order founded by Saint Vincent de Paul, in Paris. It was within the chapel of this Motherhouse on Rue du Bac in 1830 that Catherine experienced several visions, most notably of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary, radiating light and grace, appeared to Catherine, giving her a mission to have a medal struck based on the images she revealed. This medal, now known as the Miraculous Medal, depicts Mary standing on a globe with rays of light streaming from her outstretched hands and the words "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." The reverse side of the medal features the letter "M" surmounted by a cross, with the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary below, surrounded by twelve stars. Mary promised great graces to those who wore the medal with confidence and devotion. Despite the profoundness of these visions, Catherine, driven by humility, told only her spiritual director, Father Jean Marie Aladel, about them. Initially, he doubted her story, but after two years, he was convinced and obtained permission from the Archbishop to have the medal produced. Catherine spent the remaining 46 years of her life in humble service at a hospice outside Paris, caring for the elderly and infirm, a role that earned her the title of the patroness of seniors. She remained silent about her pivotal role in bringing the Miraculous Medal to the world until just before her death in 1876. Her body was exhumed 57 years later and found to be incorrupt; she was beatified in 1933 and canonized in 1947. Today, St. Catherine Labouré's incorrupt body lies in a glass casket in the chapel on Rue du Bac in Paris, where she continues to inspire devotion and remind us of the power of faith and the intercession of the Blessed Mother.