On Saturday, April 4, 2025, Moravian’s Catholics on Campus club took a trip to the Miraculous Medal Shrine in Philadelphia. Established in 1927 by Father Joseph Skelly, the shrine was originally developed to pay homage to the apparition of the Virgin Mary in Paris, France, in 1830. 

Upon arrival, students sat to hear a retelling of the story of Saint Catherine Labouré, a French nun to whom Mary appeared on three separate occasions in 1830. On the last visit, Mary presented Saint Catherine with the design of the Miraculous Medal, which she wished to be produced and worn by all. Those who wore the medal and prayed to Mary were said to be under her special protection and receive her graces.

After this, we were led upstairs to the church. With tall, arched ceilings and stained glass windows, it was truly a sight to behold. Up front, tucked into its alcove, was the shrine to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, which, upon first sight, took the breath away from many of the club members. 

A statue of Mary stood tall on an intricate elevated platform, backlit and surrounded by candles and flowers. A basket filled with prayer intentions sat by her feet, and an arched golden ceiling surrounded the shrine overhead. Along the arched wall was engraved the words “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee,” the same words which surround the depiction of Mary on the Miraculous Medal. 

After taking time to pray by the shrine and fill out prayer intentions, the group attended mass and had the opportunity to have holy items that they had brought with them blessed.

Students were then taken on a tour, where we saw the more multicultural aspects of the Catholic faith. The shrine included beautiful depictions of many other apparitions of Mary throughout history, including Our Lady of Good Health in India and Our Lady of Knock in Ireland. Our tour guide pointed out specific depictions that had been created and donated by Latino and Filipino members of the parish who wanted to highlight their cultural ties to their religion.

Seeing these different apparitions of Mary was incredibly fascinating. Depending on the origin of the apparition, Mary appeared dressed in distinct clothing and sometimes even as a different race. The unique media by which she was represented gave voice to diverse cultural and personal interpretations, ranging from statues to paintings and even a large doll whose clothes were made out of pineapple fibers.

What was also moving was that, everywhere you looked, there were papers with prayer intentions written on them, crammed wherever people could find room. While some were placed in baskets, other papers were simply set by the feet of a statue or below a painting. A couple were even wedged in the small space between the heel of a crucified Jesus and the cross to which he was affixed. People’s need, and almost desperation, to have their prayers heard was incredibly powerful to see.

The outside of the shrine was just as beautiful, with an incredibly unique feature. Saint Vincent’s Rosary walk (quite literally a giant rosary) is a paved walkway surrounding the garden area, with inlaid stepping stones representing each of the beads. Accompanied by small flower gardens and a few more statues of the Virgin Mary, it is truly a peaceful setting to pray and go for a walk.

After a full day of exploring the shrine and growing closer to their faith, the members of Catholics on Campus felt thoroughly touched by the experience. 

Elizabeth Neagle, the club’s treasurer, shared her thoughts on the trip: 

“It was a treat to learn the story of the Miraculous Medal. Despite having always seen the medals around (and having more than one that I’ve been wearing for years), I’ve never heard the whole story. It was a perfect day trip; the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal wasn’t too big or overwhelming, so we got to see almost every part of it throughout the day. It was beautiful inside and out; everywhere you looked, there was a lovely piece of artwork, and in a variety of different styles as well. A peaceful and spiritual place, the visit was a wonderful opportunity to rest and worship outside of the busy, loud world of a college campus.”