Book of the Week: “Notice Historique…de la Nouvelle Medaille..Medaille Miraculeuse….” 1835

Notice Historique sur l’origine et les effets de la NOUVELLE MEDAILLE, frappee en l’honneur de l’Immaculee Conception de la Tres Sainte Vierge, et generalement connue sous le nom de Medaille miraculeuse, suivie d’ une neuvaine.By M. *** pretre de la Congregation de la Mission de St.-Lazare. Quatrieme Edition, considerablement augmentee. (Paris: Chez l’auteur, rue de Sevre, 95, et la Societe des Bons Livres, rue des Saint-Peres, 69. 20 Mars 1835.

This rare edition is one of the earliest devotional accounts of the then-new Miraculous Medal.  It was published less than five years after the apparitions to Catherine Laboure beginning in July 1830.  The author, though anonymous, is believed to have been Jean-Marie Aladel, C.M. who served as the Director General of the Daughters of Charity under Jean-Baptiste Etienne.  This work illustrates the amazing rapidity with which devotion to the Medal spread after the introduction of the devotion.