A privileged soul
She was named Catherine, and known as Zoé among her closest friends. Her greatest joy was to feed the many doves that lived in the aviary of the family farm. Upon seeing the little peasant girl, the birds would fly out and surround her. They seemed to want to take hold of her and carry her to the heavens. As a captive of that vibrant cloud, Catherine laughed, defending herself from the boldest ones and caressing the gentlest ones, gliding her hand over the whiteness of their soft feathers.
During her entire life, she kept fond memories of those childhood doves: “There were about 800″, she would say, with a tiny hint of timid pride…
Catherine Labouré was born in 1806, in the French province of Bourgogne, under the sky of Fain-les-Moutiers, where her father owned a farm and other property. At the age of nine, she lost her mother who was a distinguished lady of the local bourgeoisie and who had a rich and noble soul that displayed heroism in the exemplary fulfillment of her domestic duties. Shaken by this tragic blow, and covered in tears, Catherine embraced a statue of the Blessed Virgin and exclaimed: “From now on, you will be my mother!”
Our Lady did not disappoint the little girl who gave herself to her with such devotion and confidence. From that moment, she adopted Catherine as a beloved daughter, showering her with superabundant graces that only caused that generous and innocent soul to grow. She was a charming dove-keeper, whose clear blue eyes reflected health, joy and vigour, as well as the seriousness and wisdom that come from responsibilities that weighed upon her youthful shoulders from an early age. This admirable little housekeeper, who was still illiterate, had her interior horizons opened to contemplation and meditation, leading to a time of unsurpassable magnificence.
With the Daughters of St. Vincent de Paul
When Catherine was still very young, she had a dream that explained the path her life would follow. She saw herself in the church of Fain-les-Moutiers, attending mass celebrated by an elderly priest with a penetrating gaze that left a deep impression on her. When the liturgical celebration had ended, the priest turned toward her and signaled for her to come to him. Frightened, Catherine withdrew, without being able to take her gaze from him. As the dream continued, she went to visit a poor sick person and came across the same priest. “My daughter”, he said, “it is good to care for the sick. Now you flee from me… but in the future you will be happy to come to me. God has special designs for you. Never forget this!”
Upon waking, Catherine relived the dream in her mind, without understanding what it meant…
Some time later, at the age of 18, Catherine accompanied a cousin on a visit to a house of the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity in Chatillon-sur-Seine. In the visiting room she was surprised to see a painting of the priest who was in the dream. “That is our father, St. Vincent de Paul”, explained the sisters. And thus, the path for Catherine was clear: to be a Sister of Charity.
However, only in January of 1830 – at the age of 23 – was she able to overcome her father’s objections which prevented her from following a religious vocation, and abandon forever a world that was not worthy of her. Afterwards, she entered the same convent of the Vincentian Sisters in Chatillon-sur-Seine as a postulant and on April 21 was accepted in the novitiate of the Rue du Bac in Paris.
(From The Miraculous Medal: the Story and Heavenly promises by Msgr. João Clá Dias)
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