St. Margaret Mary Medals | Sacred Heart Necklace

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and what is she the patron of?

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is a seventeenth-century French Visitation nun who is the patron saint of Sacred Heart devotion and of those who have lost parents. Born in Burgundy in 1647, she entered the Visitation Monastery at Paray-le-Monial and received a series of visions of Jesus between 1673 and 1675 in which He revealed His Sacred Heart and asked her to spread devotion to it throughout the Church. Her patronage of those who have lost parents is rooted in her own experience of losing her father at age eight and the deep interior suffering that followed. She was canonized in 1920 and her feast day is celebrated on October 16.

Who revealed the Sacred Heart devotion to St. Margaret Mary?

Jesus Christ Himself appeared to St. Margaret Mary in a series of private revelations beginning on December 27, 1673, the feast of St. John the Apostle. In these visions He showed her His heart surrounded by flames and crowned with thorns, explaining that it symbolized His burning love for humanity and the ingratitude He received in return. He asked her to promote devotion to His Sacred Heart, establish the First Friday Communion practice, and observe a Holy Hour on Thursday nights in memory of His agony in Gethsemane. Her Jesuit confessor, Fr. Claude de la Colombière, played a crucial role in affirming the authenticity of her visions and helping spread the devotion she had been given.

What are the Nine First Fridays and how are they connected to St. Margaret Mary?

The Nine First Fridays is a Catholic devotional practice in which a person receives Holy Communion on nine consecutive first Fridays of the month in reparation for sins and in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This practice is one of the Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart communicated to St. Margaret Mary during her visions, with Christ promising special graces at the hour of death to those who completed it faithfully. The practice remains widely observed in Catholic parishes around the world and is one of the most enduring fruits of Margaret Mary's mission. Wearing a St. Margaret Mary medal is a natural complement to this devotion, serving as a daily reminder of the commitment made during those nine months.

When is St. Margaret Mary Alacoque's feast day?

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque's feast day is October 16, which is when Catholics who are devoted to her typically choose to honor her with prayer, Mass, or a special gift. She died on October 17, 1690, and the feast was placed on October 16 in the Roman Calendar following her canonization. The feast of the Sacred Heart — which she worked to establish — is celebrated on the Friday after the second Sunday after Pentecost, making late spring another meaningful time in the liturgical calendar for those devoted to her mission. Many families and parishes use October 16 as an occasion to renew their consecration to the Sacred Heart.

What are the Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart?

The Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart are a series of spiritual graces that Christ communicated to St. Margaret Mary during her visions, promised to those who practice devotion to His Sacred Heart. They include peace in families, consolation in troubles, fervor for those who are lukewarm, a refuge during life and at the hour of death, and — for those who receive Communion on nine consecutive first Fridays — the grace of final perseverance. These promises were not formally defined as doctrine but have been widely embraced in Catholic devotional life for over three centuries. St. Margaret Mary's medal is worn by many precisely as a sign of trust in these promises and a commitment to living the devotion she transmitted.

Are St. Margaret Mary medals from rosarycard.net made in the USA?

Yes — every St. Margaret Mary Alacoque medal sold on rosarycard.net is manufactured in the United States by Bliss Manufacturing, a company with a long history of producing quality Catholic religious jewelry for American parishes and families. Each medal comes with a lifetime guarantee against defects in materials and craftsmanship, so you are purchasing something built to last for years of daily wear and devotion. The collection is available in sterling silver, 14kt gold filled, and 14kt solid gold, giving you a range of options whether you are buying for everyday use or selecting a heirloom-quality gift. Orders over $40 ship free, and all medals arrive in gift-ready packaging.

The Story of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Margaret Mary Alacoque was born on July 22, 1647, in Lhautecour, Burgundy, France, the fifth of seven children in a notary's family. Her father died when she was eight years old, and the years that followed were marked by illness, family hardship, and a deep interior prayer life that set her apart even as a child. After recovering from a years-long illness she attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, she consecrated herself to Mary and eventually entered the Visitation Monastery at Paray-le-Monial in 1671. Beginning on December 27, 1673 — the feast of St. John the Apostle — Christ appeared to her in a series of extraordinary visions and revealed His Sacred Heart surrounded by flames and crowned with thorns, a symbol of His burning love and the ingratitude He received in return. He entrusted her with spreading devotion to His Sacred Heart, communicating the Twelve Promises to those who honored it, and establishing the First Friday and Holy Hour practices. Her confessor and spiritual director, the Jesuit Fr. Claude de la Colombière, became her greatest advocate. Margaret Mary died on October 17, 1690, at the age of forty-three. She was beatified in 1864 and canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

Why Catholics Wear a St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Medal

The St. Margaret Mary medal is worn as a visible sign of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus — the devotion she carried at great personal cost and eventually saw spread throughout the Church. Most medals depict her in her Visitation habit, often in an attitude of adoration before the Sacred Heart, sometimes shown with a vision of the flaming heart itself. Wearing her image is a way of aligning oneself with her mission: to respond to Christ's love with love, to make reparation for indifference, and to trust in the mercy symbolized by His open heart. For the many Catholics who practice the Nine First Fridays — receiving Communion on nine consecutive first Fridays of the month in honor of the Sacred Heart, one of the Twelve Promises — her medal is a natural companion to that discipline. It is also worn by those who have lost a parent, drawing on her patronage born from her own early grief and her lifelong trust that Christ's heart holds all who suffer. The medal is a quiet but powerful declaration: I believe in a God whose heart burns with love for me.

Our St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Medal Collection

Our St. Margaret Mary medals are manufactured in the United States by Bliss Manufacturing, one of the oldest and most respected names in American Catholic jewelry, and every piece carries a lifetime guarantee against defects. The collection spans three metal options — sterling silver for everyday wear, 14kt gold filled for a richer look at an accessible price, and 14kt solid gold for a heirloom-quality piece — in a range of medal sizes from petite to substantial. Each medal ships on a matching chain in standard lengths, with options to suit both children and adults. Orders over $40 ship free. Whether you are purchasing for your own First Friday practice or selecting a gift for a Sacred Heart enthronement, you will find the right combination of metal, size, and chain here. Explore related devotional medals in our St. Faustina medal collection and our St. John Vianney medal collection — two saints whose lives were also shaped by an extraordinary closeness to Christ's mercy and the Eucharist.

Giving a St. Margaret Mary Medal as a Gift

The most natural moment to give a St. Margaret Mary Alacoque medal is the feast day of October 16, particularly within families or parishes that observe the Sacred Heart devotion together. It is also a profoundly fitting gift for the completion of the Nine First Fridays — when a family member or friend has faithfully received Communion on nine consecutive first Fridays, a St. Margaret Mary medal marks that commitment with something lasting. For households hosting a Sacred Heart enthronement ceremony, presenting the medal to the head of the household or to a child at the moment of enthronement creates a tangible keepsake of that consecration. Finally, for a friend or family member grieving the death of a parent, this medal offers more than sympathy — it offers the intercession of a saint who knew that loss personally and who spent her life pointing toward a heart that never abandons those who mourn. All orders arrive in gift-ready packaging, and free shipping applies to orders over $40.