The Chapel on Rue du Bac

The History of the Chapel

In 1815, the Daughters of Charity obtained the Châtillon Hotel by imperial decree to establish their headquarters. On August 6th, 1815, the solemn blessing of the chapel took place, during which the bodies of Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise Marillac, two emblematic figures of the order, were entombed. At the time of Saint Catherine Labouré, the chapel was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The chapel of the Miraculous Virgin was enlarged in 1849 due to influx of new sisters after the phenomenal spread of the miraculous medal. Many interior improvements would follow. In 1876, on the instructions of Sister Catherine, the statue of the Mighty Virgin surmounting the altar commemorating the apparitions, was definitively installed on January 22, 1881. In 1880, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the apparitions of the rue du Bac, an altar was placed where Our Lady had appeared, in 1933 the body of Saint Catherine Labouré was placed in a glass chest under this altar. In the same year, the chair on which the Virgin Mary had sat was brought back to the chapel. In addition, the statue of the Virgin was installed in the Globe resembling the Blessed Virgin as she appeared to Sister Catherine in 1830.

For the centenary of the apparitions in 1930, the chapel of the Immaculate Conception was restored. It can now easily accommodate a thousand people. New ornaments were made: a magnificent Carrara Marble Way of the Cross and a fresco depicting the Virgin's first appearance to Sister Catherine. From 1959 to 1999, new works of development took place, they were closed by the solemn inauguration of the chapel on May 31, 1980 by Pope John Paul II.

The Miraculous Chapel Today

The miraculous chapel is located at 140 rue du Bac in the heart of Paris. Thousands of people come every day to lay down their burdens, their worries and their intentions at the feet of the Blessed Virgin who welcomes them with open hands and laden with graces to pour out on each one. The call made by the Mother of God on July 18, 1930 is engraved into the church: "Come to the foot of this altar, where grace will be poured out on all those who ask for it with confidence and fervor". Pilgrims unceasingly respond to this call to implore the assistance of the Queen of Heaven. Since the year 1930, graces have been poured over souls continuously. Many testify to the thousands of graces received by the hands of Mary: miracles, healing, conversions, and protections.

Every day, the chapel on Rue du Bac welcomes pilgrims in groups or individually by sisters, priests and lay people. Their mission is also to spread the message of the rue du Bac.

The team in charge of the chapel has set up a telephone line which allows people to submit prayer intentions to the Virgin of the miraculous medal. These intentions are presented to the Virgin Mary during the Mass on Tuesday.

Of course, the shop offers the miraculous medal in all forms and colors, as well as books and DVDs retracing the history of the apparitions and the message given there by the Virgin.

The Association of the Miraculous Medal was founded in 1909 with a dual mission:

• To honor Mary, Mother of Christ Jesus and our Mother, with a truly Christian life and the spread of the Miraculous Medal,
• And to pray for priestly, religious and missionary vocations and assist in their formation through the Missionary Fellowships of the Miraculous Medal,

To respond to the call of the Blessed Virgin, there are many prayers, in particular a novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.