St. Catherine Labouré’s feast day is November 28. In 2026 it falls on Saturday. Catherine saw Mary standing on a globe with rays of grace and the request to mint a medal. She hid her identity for forty-six years while millions wore the Miraculous Medal. Parisian pilgrims still visit the chapel on rue du Bac where Mary appeared.
If you searched St. Catherine Labouré feast day, St. Catherine Labouré, St. Catherine Labouré Nov 28, this is the 2026 feast-day guide: the life, the doctrine this memorial is for, the liturgy, and what Catholics actually do today. St. Catherine Labouré is remembered as visionary of the Miraculous Medal and patron of the elderly. Patronage listed here: Elderly, Infirmed People, Miraculous Medal. Daughters of Charity sister who received the Miraculous Medal. The standing biography remains at St. Catherine Labouré — that URL is unchanged.
Pray with the Church: Catholic prayers · Daily Bible verse · Catholic calendar · Saint of the Day.
When Is St. Catherine Labouré’s Feast Day?
November 28 every year. In 2026 that is Saturday, November 28. Liturgical rank on this guide: Optional Memorial. It is not a holy day of obligation in the United States. If the date is a Sunday, the Sunday celebration normally takes precedence at Mass; keep the saint in the Liturgy of the Hours, in a votive Mass where allowed, or in family prayer.
A collect you can use today asks that we follow St. Catherine Labouré as daughters of Charity sister who received the Miraculous Medal — not as a slogan, as a life.
Who Was St. Catherine Labouré?
Zoé Labouré was born on May 2, 1806, at Fain-lès-Moutiers in Burgundy. She entered the Daughters of Charity in 1830 in Paris. In July and November 1830 at the motherhouse on rue du Bac, she reported visions of Mary requesting a medal showing Mary Immaculate with the prayer O Mary conceived without sin.
The medal spread rapidly after 1832. She served in Enghien and Paris until death on December 31, 1876. Canonized 1947; feast November 28.
Years later, during a visit to the Daughters of Charity hospital, Catherine saw a picture of the old priest on the wall. She discovered it was of their founder, St. Vincent de Paul. Catherine immediately knew she would become a member of St. Vincent's order.
In January 1830, Catherine Labouré entered the novitiate of the Daughters of Charity. Months later, on July 19, 1830, Catherine woke from her sleep after hearing a child's voice calling her to the chapel as the Blessed Virgin Mary was waiting for her.
On November 28 the Church is not archiving a celebrity. She is putting St. Catherine Labouré in front of you as daughters of Charity sister who received the Miraculous Medal. Read the dates. Then pray. The standing biography remains at St. Catherine Labouré — life, legacy, and feast. That URL is unchanged.
The Miraculous Medal in the Rue du Bac
St. Catherine Labouré is remembered as Daughters of Charity sister who received the Miraculous Medal. Mary distributes grace through simple sacramentals when hearts are poor in spirit.
Catherine saw Mary standing on a globe with rays of grace and the request to mint a medal. She hid her identity for forty-six years while millions wore the Miraculous Medal. Parisian pilgrims still visit the chapel on rue du Bac where Mary appeared.
Catherine's hidden life shows apparitions serve charity, not celebrity. This is not a private hobby of specialists. It is why the calendar still names November 28.
On this feast the Church is not only telling a story; she is keeping a school. St. Catherine Labouré's greatest legacy is the Miraculous Medal, which has become one of the most popular and powerful Marian devotions in the Catholic Church. The medal, with its image of Mary standing on a globe with rays of light emanating from her hands, has brought countless graces and conversions to those who wear it with faith and devotion.
A Silent Daughter of Charity and a World That Wore the Medal
Patronage listed on this site: Elderly, Infirmed People, Miraculous Medal. Patronage is a relationship of prayer, not a charm. Ask St. Catherine Labouré, then do the next just thing.
St. Catherine Labouré is remembered as visionary of the Miraculous Medal and patron of the elderly. Category on our saints index: Modern Saints. That label is a door, not a cage — martyrs teach the baptized, doctors teach the simple, virgins teach the married.
Despite receiving extraordinary visions from the Blessed Virgin Mary, Catherine remained humble and obedient throughout her life. She kept her identity as the visionary secret for 46 years, living a quiet life of service to the poor and elderly. Her example teaches us that true holiness often lies in simple, faithful service rather than public recognition.
Catherine's 40 years of service to the elderly, sick, and disabled demonstrate her deep compassion and commitment to the most vulnerable members of society. Her work with the Daughters of Charity shows how religious life can be a powerful force for good in caring for those in need.
If you only have five minutes, skip the folklore and keep the sentence: St. Catherine Labouré, pray for us. Then open Luke 1 and read until you hit a line you can obey today.
She served in Enghien and Paris until death on December 31, 1876. Canonized 1947; feast November 28. You do not have to travel to keep November 28. The calendar brings the shrine to the parish and the parish to the table.
What This Feast Is Not
The Miraculous Medal is not jewelry. Catherine stayed silent while the Rue du Bac changed the world’s pockets. Wear the medal and skip the Daughters of Charity’s poor and you have metal, not a feast.
If you searched St. Catherine Labouré today, keep daughters of Charity sister who received the Miraculous Medal. Skip the souvenir version. The 2026 work is still Mass if you can, Scripture, and one mercy that costs you.
Scripture for November 28
These chapters are not random captions. They are the Bible this witness still opens. Read in the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible. One chapter prayed is enough; three is a feast.
- Luke 1 — Luke’s infancy narrative is where this feast takes its first breath. Mary distributes grace through simple sacramentals when hearts are poor in spirit.
- Genesis 3 — Read this chapter as the Scripture the memorial is for, not as a caption. Mary distributes grace through simple sacramentals when hearts are poor in spirit.
- Revelation 12 — Read this chapter as the Scripture the memorial is for, not as a caption. Mary distributes grace through simple sacramentals when hearts are poor in spirit.
How to Celebrate November 28, 2026
- Go to Mass — Go to Mass if your parish keeps the optional memorial of St. Catherine Labouré. Parishes may celebrate it; they are not bound to. It is not a holy day of obligation in the United States. If the parish uses another Mass, add a private collect.
- Read the biography at St. Catherine Labouré so this page does not replace the vita.
- Wear or pray with the Miraculous Medal and invoke Mary's intercession.
- Begin the Miraculous Medal novena for someone struggling with sin.
- Pray one chapter of Luke 1 in the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible.
- Say the invocation. Out loud: St. Catherine Labouré, pray for us. Once is enough if you mean it.
If you cannot do six things, do the invocation and one merciful act. St. Catherine Labouré’s whole spirituality can fit in a kitchen before midnight.
Readings and the Prayer of the Church
When this optional memorial is kept, the Missal ordinarily allows the Common of Holy Men and Women. At home, pray the chapters listed above — especially Luke 1 — then this collect. At Mass, use the official texts, not a blog’s paraphrase.
Collect. O God, who gave your Church St. Catherine Labouré as Daughters of Charity sister who received the Miraculous Medal, grant that we may learn from this feast how mary distributes grace through simple sacramentals when hearts are poor in spirit. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The English collect of a memorial, when the Missal provides one, will be more exact than this home prayer. Use both if you need them. Trust and charity in act — not a slogan.
A Prayer You Can Use Today
"O St. Catherine Labouré, who received the privilege of beholding the Blessed Virgin Mary and of speaking with her, obtain for us the grace to love and serve Our Lady with the same humility and devotion that characterized your life. Help us to serve the elderly and sick with the same compassion you showed during your forty years of service. May we, like you, find strength in the Miraculous Medal and trust in Mary's intercession. "St. Catherine Labouré, patron of the elderly, intercede for all those in advanced age. Help us to see the dignity and wisdom in our elderly brothers and sisters.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is St. Catherine Labouré’s feast day in 2026?
Saturday, November 28, 2026. The calendar date is fixed; the weekday changes each year.
Is this a holy day of obligation?
No. In the United States this optional memorial does not bind like Christmas or the Immaculate Conception. Come to Mass if you can. Do not invent a precept the bishops have not given.
What is St. Catherine Labouré the patron of?
Elderly, Infirmed People, Miraculous Medal. Patronage is a relationship of prayer, not a charm and not a substitute for the sacraments. Ask, then act.
How do you pray on this feast day?
Mass if you can, one chapter of Scripture, one concrete mercy, and the words St. Catherine Labouré, pray for us. Details are in the list above.
Why does the Church keep St. Catherine Labouré at all?
Because daughters of Charity sister who received the Miraculous Medal is still medicine. Mary distributes grace through simple sacramentals when hearts are poor in spirit. The calendar is a school, not a museum.
What should I avoid treating this feast as?
The Miraculous Medal is not jewelry. Catherine stayed silent while the Rue du Bac changed the world’s pockets. Wear the medal and skip the Daughters of Charity’s poor and you have metal, not a feast.
What is the difference between this guide and the saint page?
This page is the 2026 feast-day article — date, liturgy, how to keep today, FAQ. /saints/st-catherine-laboure/ is the standing biography. Neither URL has been renamed.
Related pages on Catholic Bible Online
- St. Catherine Labouré — life and legacy
- Saints directory · Saint of the Day
- Catholic calendar · Catholic Bible (Douay-Rheims)
- Prayers · Daily Bible verse
Keep the Day
The Church names November 28 so that St. Catherine Labouré can still teach. Pray. Read. Do one merciful act before midnight. Trust is a decision, not a mood.
St. Catherine Labouré, pray for us.
Read: biography · Luke 1 · more saints