We have more fun for your coloring kids (and you!) for the month of Mary–all through May! It’s a series of “Our Lady’s Color-by-Number” Apparition Activity Pages!

Every few days throughout the month of May, we will post another Color-By-Number of a different visit of Our Blessed Mother from Heaven! Today–here’s #2!

Want access to all 6 color-by-numbers at the same time? Click below for the complete coloring book download!

This will help you and your children learn more about Our Lady’s messages in many of her apparitions (some you’ll have heard about, some you may not have!) and the importance of each of her outfits. She always dressed beautifully, but she never wore the same outfit twice!

In addition to each full-page color-by-number printable, you’ll get another printable summary of the details of the apparition, what she asked for, and a short prayer to contemplate in a child’s heart. Each blog post will provide more information and plenty of pictures to inspire wonder in your children about the times Our Blessed Mother came down from Heaven to visit her children still on earth. By learning about her Apparition messages, we can strengthen our love for our Heavenly Mother!

Now, read on for the story behind our 2nd color-by-number (you can find the 1st here):

the outfit Our Blessed Mother wore which we call Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

Catherine Labouré was a gentle, humble girl born in France on May 2nd, 1806. She had an early and strong love for the Mother of God, especially after she lost her own mother at the age of nine and asked Mary to adopt her.

Catherine grew up and became a sister in Paris at the Mother House of the Daughters of Charity in 1830 when she was twenty-four years old. It made her very happy to spend her time quietly tending to hospital patients and praying for the many people in France who were poor and suffering.

Just a few months after she became a sister in Paris–when she was still a novice–she began to long to see her adopted Mother’s face, and she prayed asking that the patron saint of her order, St. Vincent de Paul, would intercede on her behalf. 

One balmy night in July, Catherine was awakened by the sound of a child’s voice telling her that her Mother wanted her to come to the chapel to speak with her. Catherine was in bed in her nightgown, but she went anyway and was amazed to see all the chapel candles had been lit even though everyone was still asleep.

She didn’t see anyone there at first, so she knelt down to pray while she waited. The soft sound of rustling silk skirts prompted her to raise her head and she saw a Beautiful Lady sitting in the priest’s chair dressed in brilliant white with a blue outer robe. Catherine knew who she was immediately, went to her Adoptive Mother and placed herself at the Lady’s feet and her hands in her lap while the Mother of God spoke to her. Mary was very happy to visit Catherine, but she was very serious as she told her there was an important task to be done. She warned her that hard times were coming for France, the church, and the whole world, but pointed to the altar and promised that help and grace was ready for anyone who prayed for it. Then she left, assuring Catherine that she would be watching over her always.

The next time Mary visited Catherine was several months later during Advent. Catherine was making her evening prayers in the chapel when she recognized the sound of skirts swishing — her Mother was coming again!

Looking around for the Lady, she was amazed when she saw how the Mother of God looked at this visit!  Blessed Mary was dressed in the same white and blue clothing as before, but this time she stood with the world at her feet and dazzling rings on her hands. The Lady shone like the sun!

Mary said again that the world and particularly France would soon be full of pain and struggle and that she longed for grace to spread throughout the whole world.

Showing Catherine her rings, she told her that they represented the abundant and diverse graces that were poured out in response to prayer. She noted sadly that some of her rings did not shine; they were full of graces that she longed to give, but no one asked for them.

Then Mary stretched out her hands, and Catherine saw her Mother standing above the world, a snake helpless under her feet, and the words, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee” shining around her like a golden frame.

Then the image turned and she saw an “M” at the foot of a cross and two hearts, one surrounded by thorns and the other pierced by a sword, surrounded by twelve twinkling stars.

The Mother of God told Catherine to remember what she saw and have the images put onto the front and back of a medal. She promised that those who wore the medal around their necks and prayed to remember the graces waiting to be given would be blessed through their faith and that Our Lady would be constantly mindful of them.

After two years of patient effort, Catherine managed to convince a priest named Father Aladel to help her make the images Mary had shown her into medals.

At first, just 2,000 medals were made and distributed throughout Paris. But Catherine continued her efforts of sharing the medal, knowing that her Lady had meant her symbol of grace and prayer to reach everyone in the world.

Hundreds of people throughout France and soon many other countries began to meditate on the medal, sharing the many ways they were amazed by the grace of God after doing so.

Although Our Lady had predicted the struggles in the church that began several years later, there was also increased peace and prosperity among faithful Christians and the people began to call the medal bearing the image of Our Lady as Catherine had seen her the “Miraculous Medal.” People still remember the Mother of God’s words with this medal today, and it is a strong instrument of grace for those that use it to draw closer to Mary’s Son.

Just think about all that happened in this true story:

Mary was overjoyed when she heard from St Vincent de Paul (they were both in Heaven with Jesus!) that a little novice sister in Paris was praying for her to visit!

So she decided to come to Earth late at night so that she could talk to Catherine alone while everyone else was asleep. Knowing Catherine would probably be in her nightgown, Our Lady chose a simple white silk dress, a delicate white veil, and an outer robe of blue — probably Our Blessed Mother’s favorite color.

When she found Catherine praying in the chapel, she was very quiet and only the sound of her dress rustling when she sat down indicated to Catherine that someone else was in the chapel. (Are you quiet when people are praying, so as not to disturb them?)

The next time she visited, she put her rings of grace on her fingers to show Catherine–she knew Catherine would understand how special they were.

This outfit that Our Lady wore was simple but beautiful, because she wanted to help her daughter, Catherine, remember what she saw! She also, I’m sure, wanted to make it a simple outfit so it would be easy to create a medal with her image.

For St Juan Diego, Our Lady created a self-portrait to commemorate her visit to him and to remind millions of people of her care for us. For St Catherine, she designed a medal to remind millions of people to pray to God for the graces He wants to give us.

Just as Our Lady was always thinking of Catherine, she always thinks of us, her spiritual children, and like every good mother, she is always wanting to give little gifts so we remember her and remember to pray to become closer to her Son! 

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

PS Want to see some beautiful pictures of what Mary chose to wear for this and other visits from Heaven? Get a peek “inside Mary’s closet” (!) with this gorgeous new book: Our Lady’s Wardrobe!

“An exquisite book. The pictures are amazing! They look like photographs!”
–5 star review

Our Lady’s Wardrobe tells the story of some of her most famous apparitions, highlighting the clothes she wore and the things she did. This delightful rhyming book introduces Catholic children to the Blessed Virgin Mary in a fun and simple way—through her apparitions and the clothes she wore! (Yes: you’ll see her as Our Lady of Guadalupe and many more!)
ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY