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Patron Saint Medals are something very well known within the catholic faith. They are often shiny pieces of gold, sterling silver, nickel or pewter m with the names of Saints, such as St Christopher or St. Michael or St. Peter and an image of them struck into the metal that makes the coin.
There are also many instances of events that happened that also appear on medals. Our Lady of Fatima is a popular one. The event being recalled was the Blessed Mothers appearance to three small children in 1918. Often depicted is the image of the three children kneeling in a grotto at the feet of the Blessed Mother. The message of the visit was to pray the rosary, a common there in most Marian Apparitions.
The Miraculous Medal is the result of another Marian Apparition to St. Catherine Laboure. In 1830 the Blessed Mother spoke to her requesting that she change her mission and start getting these medals out there in regard to the immaculate heart of Mary.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is another apparition commemorated on religious medals and often in statuary and tapestry as well. The Blessed Mother appeared to Juan Diego in the 15th century and left her image on the inside of his cape. The image that is associated with the apparition of Our Lady is a replica of the image she left behind. This was again a message of praying the rosary and the importance of the rosary.
Perhaps one of the most famous apparitions is Our Lady of Lourdes. This apparition took place in the 1850s when the Blessed Mother appear to St. Bernadette. The waters of the grotto of Lourdes saw people coming from far and wide to be healed by these waters and there are countless miracles that have been attributed to Lourdes to this day. This year marked the 150 year anniversary of Lourdes. Often in addition to medals you will find Lourdes rosaries which have a vial of authentic Lourdes waters as the center of the rosary.
In the early days of the church religious medals were also struck as ways to remember the story or depicted a the life of the person on the medal. It seemed to be very similar to what was done in Egypt. Although graphic sounding, for example St. Lawrence was depicted as dying via being roasted over an open fire. It is believed that he was in fact martyred by being placed on a spit and hung over an open fire until he burned to death. This is one of the earliest recollections of medals being used to convey and retell events that happened in the lives of the may.
Medals have long played an important part in the history of the Catholic church from developing it to recollecting its history. But most importantly, it is a way for each of us to honor and commemorate those who have lived and in many cases died living their lives in the way of Christ.
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