Medal
Object number2016.43.8
OriginItaly
MediumMetal
Credit LineGift of St. Paul of the Cross Monastery
DescriptionBrass-colored oval Miraculous Medal. Front has figure of the Virgin Mary on front surrounded by raised text and date. Reverse has a cross and the letter "M" above two hearts (right heart is pierced by a sword); twelve stars around the perimeter; raised text at bottom center is place of origin. Top of medal has a tab with a hole that has a ring through it.DimensionsHeight x Width x Depth: 1.125 × 0.563 × 0.063 in. (2.9 × 1.4 × 0.2 cm)InscriptionsFront has raised text around the perimeter "O MARY CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN PRAY FOR US WHO HAVE RECOURSE TO THEE 1830".
Reverse has a cross and the letter "M" and raised text at bottom center "ITALY".
Historical NotesThis medal is known as the Miraculous Medal of the Medal of Immaculate Conception. St. Paul of the Cross Monastery is the first site of the Passionist Congregation in North America and has been in operation since the mid-19th century. The original building was erected in 1854 (the cornerstone was laid in 1853) after the Bishop of Pittsburgh, Father Michael O’Connor, helped the order secure property on the South Side owned by the Catholic Diocese. The Passionists were begun by Paolo Daneo, known as St. Paul of the Cross, and were based in Italy for its first century; three of the four founders (Frs. Anthony Calandri, Albinus Magno, Stanislaus Parcyzk, and Brother Lawrence DiGiacomo) of St. Paul of the Cross Monastery came from Italy to America as missionaries. The Passionists are dedicated to a life of prayer, poverty, penance, and solitude, and proclaim the love of God for us as seen in Jesus’ cross. Traditionally, they wore a habit of black clothing, including a robe and wool mantle with their insignia, which were originally handmade from felt. The Passionists symbol features the Latin phrase JESU XPI PASSIO, which translates to “The Passion of Jesus Christ,” above three nails representative of the nails from Jesus’ crucifixion. This imagery is in line with the mission of the Passionists to promote the remembrance of Christ’s suffering. The insignia also features the cross, which the Passionists value as a symbol of justice and reminder to serve those in the community who bear the cross today. They also wore leather sandals and a belt of their own design and making and a biretta. This ensemble was abandoned for more modern vestments around the time of Vatican II. The rosaries, crucifixes, and black scapular were devotional items used at the monastery by the Congregation through-out the years. The framed pastel drawing of St. Paul of the Cross hung in the hallways of the monastery and the lithograph of St. Michael’s (L&A) illustrates a church once operated by the Passionists to serve the Polish and German immigrant communities of the South Side. One aspect of the monastic lifestyle is daily prayer, even at night, and the clacker was used before alarm clocks to wake the priests for devotion. The cross was used to ordain men as Passionists and would be carried during the ceremony in which they took their vows, signifying Christ carrying his cross. It is black to remind us of Christ’s death.
Related person
Mary
Related institution
Passionists
On View
Not on view
c. 1963
c. 1944
