Memorial of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and Memorials of the Saints – 27 November

Memorial of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal / The Medal of the Immaculate Conception (1830) (the correct title is the latter):

This Memorial on the Catholic Calendar commemorates the apparition to St. Catherine Labouré on 27 November 1830. Then a Novice of the Daughters of Charity in Paris, the young woman saw the Holy Virgin in glowing white, standing on a partial sphere, gazing heavenwards, holding up a gold globe as in offering to God. Words formed in an oval around her: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.” The image turned around to reveal a cross atop a bar interlacing a letter M, with two hearts beneath. The Virgin spoke: “Have a medal struck after this model; everyone who wears it will receive great graces…”

On 30 June 1832, Aurélien Vachette delivered the first 1500 medals, commissioned by the the seer’s spiritual director and approved by the Archbishop. Vachette. As Catherine reported, rays came from Mary’s hands but here the hands were empty, held out at her sides. A snake appeared under her feet and below, the date 1830. On the reverse, where Catherine quoted the Virgin as saying, “The M and the two hearts are enough,” Vachette added the 12 stars of Revelation 12:1 encircling the whole. Despite these innovations, Sister Catherine approved the new Immaculate Conception medal, soon known as the Miraculous Medal for the many blessings it delivered as it spread rapidly through France, Europe and the world. It is still one of the most beloved and widespread and efficacious sacramentals of Catholic believers.

Two of the most famous conversions due to the Miraculous medal was that of Fr Alphonse Ratisbonne NDS (1814-1884), an anti-Catholic Jewish banker and Claude Newman (1923-1944).
Fr Alphonse Ratisbonne received a vision of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. After his conversion, he became a Priest and worked for the conversion of the Jewish people.

St Acacius of Sebaste
St Acharius of Noyon
St Apollinaris of Monte Cassino
St Barlaam
Blessed Bernardine of Fossa OFM (1420-1503) Priest, Friar of the Friars Minor
St Bilhild of Altmünster
Bl Bronislao Kostkowski
St Eusician
St Facundus
St Fergus the Pict
St Gallgo of Wales
St Gregory of Sinai
St Gulstan
St Hirenarchus of Sebaste
St James Intercisus
St John Angeloptes
St John of Pavia
St Josaphat
Bl José Pérez González
Bl Juan Antonio de Bengoa Larriñaga
St Laverius

St Leonard of Port Maurice OFM (1676-1751) Priest and Friar of the Friars Minor, Confessor, Preacher – in particular Parish Mission Preacher, Ascetic Writer, Spiritual Director.
His Feast Day should be 26 November – it was moved to 27 November in 1969.
About St Leonard:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/27/saint-of-the-day-27-november-st-leonard-of-port-maurice-ofm-1676-1751/

St Maximus of Reiz
St Primitivus of Sahagun
St Secundinus of Ireland
St Severinus the Hermit
St Siffred of Carpentras
St Valerian of Aquileia

St Virgilius of Salzburg (c 700-784) Bishop, Abbot, early Astronomer, Architect, Writer, Poet, Patron of the Arts – he was called “the Apostle of Carinthia” and “the Geometer.”
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/11/27/saint-of-the-day-27-november-saint-virgilius-of-salzburg-c-700-784/

Martyrs of Antioch – (3 saints): A group of Christians martyred together for their faith. Little information has survived except for their names – Auxilius, Basileus and Saturninus.

Martyrs of Nagasaki – (11 beati): A group of eleven Christians martyred together for their faith during a period of official persecution in Japan. They are:
• Blessed Alexius Nakamura
• Blessed Antonius Kimura
• Blessed Bartholomaeus Seki
• Blessed Ioannes Iwanaga
• Blessed Ioannes Motoyama
• Blessed Leo Nakanishi
• Blessed Matthias Kozasa
• Blessed Matthias Nakano
• Blessed Michaël Takeshita
• Blessed Romanus Motoyama Myotaro
• Blessed Thomas Koteda Kyumi
They were martyred on 27 November 1619 in Nagasaki, Japan and Beatified on 7 May 1867 by Pope Pius IX.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Bartolomé Gelabert Pericás
• Blessed Eduardo Camps Vasallo
• Blessed José Pérez González
• Blessed Juan Antonio de Bengoa Larriñaga
• Blessed Miguel Aguado Camarillo
• Blessed Pedro Armendáriz Zabaleta