Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Revered by Catholics as the site of several visions of the Virgin Mary in 1830, Paris' Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is an important place of prayer and pilgrimage for Catholics from all over the world. The church was consecrated as the Chapel of the Daughters of Charity on Aug. 6, 1815, and then dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

In 1830, a woman named Zoe joined the convent and soon changed her name to Catherine. Shortly after joining, she claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary seated in a chair by the altar steps. A few months later, the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared near a painting of St Joseph to show Catherine the design for what would become the Miraculous Medal. The medal was eventually made and sold throughout the world and is said to have brought protection, cures and other miracles to those who have worn it.