FREE: Congregation of the Children of Mary Medal

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Congregation of the Children of Mary Medal
This beautiful 19th century medal would have been worn by a member of the group "The Congregation of the Children of Mary". It's sterling silver - you can tell because that little dent or ding at the top of the medal is actually a French sterling silver guarantee mark in the shape of a boar's head...a very, very, very tiny boar's head.

The front of the medal shows the Blessed Virgin Mary in the same pose that she has on the Miraculous Medal: standing on a snake with a halo of stars around her head. (I've added a picture of a Miraculous Medal right below the Children of Mary medal) The Miraculous Medal was struck at the request of the Virgin Mary during a series of visions that were experienced by St Catherine Laboure beginning in 1830. In 1835 St Catherine told her confessor of a request the Blessed Mother had made to her during on of these visions:
"It is the Blessed Virgin's wish that you should found a Confraternity of the Children of MARY. She will give them many graces. The month of May will be kept with great splendour and MARY will bestow abundant blessings upon them."

And so the seed was planted for the beginning of The Congregation of the Children of Mary. The group was first opened to girls who were students or orphans in the care of the The Sisters of Charity (St Catherine Laboure's religious order), and later welcomed girls not associated with the order as well. Girls and young women in the society were encouraged to live holy and devout lives in the everyday world by embracing the virtues of sacrifice, prayer, and works of charity.