150 years ago, young St. Bernadette, just 14 years old, witnessed the appearance of Mary, the Immaculate Conception, eighteen times in five months near a cave in a small mountainous town in Southern France named Lourdes. Bernadette’s extraordinary faith compelled her to obey the instruction of Mary to drink from a nonexistent fountain in the grotto. She scratched in the dry gravel and healing waters began to flow. Today, the healing waters attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from all faiths in search of physical, emotional and spiritual hope. In the Sanctus Collection, the Lady of Lourdes medal captures Mary in stunning portrait on the front and young St. Bernadette kneeling at the grotto in Lourdes on the back in vivid detail, commemorating the 150 year anniversary of the miracle.
150 years ago, young St. Bernadette, just 14 years old, witnessed the appearance of Mary, the Immaculate Conception, eighteen times in five months near a cave in a small mountainous town in Southern France named Lourdes. Bernadette’s extraordinary faith compelled her to obey the instruction of Mary to drink from a nonexistent fountain in the grotto. She scratched in the dry gravel and healing waters began to flow. Today, the healing waters attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from all faiths in search of physical, emotional and spiritual hope. In the Sanctus Collection, the Lady of Lourdes medal captures Mary in stunning portrait on the front and young St. Bernadette kneeling at the grotto in Lourdes on the back in vivid detail, commemorating the 150 year anniversary of the miracle.
150 years ago, young St. Bernadette, just 14 years old, witnessed the appearance of Mary, the Immaculate Conception, eighteen times in five months near a cave in a small mountainous town in Southern France named Lourdes. Bernadette’s extraordinary faith compelled her to obey the instruction of Mary to drink from a nonexistent fountain in the grotto. She scratched in the dry gravel and healing waters began to flow. Today, the healing waters attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from all faiths in search of physical, emotional and spiritual hope. In the Sanctus Collection, the Lady of Lourdes medal captures Mary in stunning portrait on the front and young St. Bernadette kneeling at the grotto in Lourdes on the back in vivid detail, commemorating the 150 year anniversary of the miracle.
The iconic Miraculous Medal promises graces, symbolized as brilliant rays shooting from Mary’s outstretched arms, to those who wear the medal. St. Catherine Laboure manifested the miraculous medal in a famous apparition of Mary in 1830 in Paris. The medal conceived in the vision includes the inscription: “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” Mary spoke to Catherine: “Have a medal struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck.” Even the back of the medal, rich in symbolism includes the letter “M” for Mary, who intercedes for us, a cross and bar representing Jesus’ redemption , two hearts representing both Mary and Jesus, and 12 stars for the 12 apostles. It is a testimony to faith and the power of prayer. Miracles inspired by the miraculous medal are of patience, forgiveness, repentance, and faith.
St. Christopher (died c. 250), an early Roman martyr and legendary saint, described as extremely tall and strong, sought vainly to serve a king worthy of his strength. Serving first a king frightened by the devil, he abandoned the king for the more powerful devil. After a short time with the devil, he observed the devil’s fear of the symbolic cross and concluded Jesus’ supremacy over the devil. He launched a fearless quest to find the most powerful Jesus uniquely worthy of his service. Advised by a hermit to pray or fast, as a way to seek Jesus, St. Christopher struggled with how to pray and abstain from food. As an alternative, he volunteered to carry travelers across a tempestuous river where many drowned. One day, when resting by the river, he heard a child’s voice call out “Christopher, come out and carry me across.” Grabbing his staff, he lifted the child to his shoulders and began to traverse the rough river. With each step, the child weighed heavier and currents resisted his stride. In deep waves, Christopher grew afraid that he would lose his step and they would both drown. Exhausted, bewildered and breathless he requested the child’s identity. Today, we honor the popular “Christ-bearer”, St. Christopher, with three Brother Wolf virtue medallions, featuring the images of St. Christopher with staff carrying the Christ Child on his shoulders inspiring both protection and Godspeed in all of our journeys."
The Sacred Heart universally symbolizes the transformative power of divine love for humanity. The image of the flaming heart surrounded with a crown of thorns while informed by the crucifixion serves as a ubiquitous symbol of Love in popular and secular culture. The Immaculate Heart of Mary which appears on miraculous medals next to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is pierced with a sword rather than crowned with thorns interlocking the two.
While the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus originated in the Middle Ages primarily through the Franciscan mystical devotion of the five wounds of which the wound in Jesus’ heart figured prominently, formalized practice began in 1856 with the Feast of the Sacred Heart celebrated 19 days after the Pentecost and always falling on a Friday. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque popularized the devotion when Jesus Christ in her visions, radiant with Love, requested He be honored under the figure of His Heart of Flesh. While the image of the Sacred Heart appears throughout the Sanctus Collection, we celebrate the healing power of divine Love with a cameo portrait of the Sacred Heart, framed in precious medal and anointed with a sacred stone.
St. Joseph (d. 1st century) Joseph, an older man, worked as a carpenter, assigning him the universal patron of workers celebrated on May 1st. And while of noble lineage he possessed extraordinary, compassion, faith and humility. While betrothed to Mary, she became pregnant and in a dream an angel revealed the truth of Mary’s pregnancy. Joseph married Mary immediately and continued to be guided by angels who orchestrated moves to locations where Mary and Jesus would be free of danger, at his own great personal expense. He completely accepted his role as the loving foster father of Jesus and died in the presence of both Mary and Jesus for which, he is recognized as the patron of the dying.
We celebrate St. Joseph’s extraordinary Providence, as the father of Jesus divinely guided, with a strong rare antique medallion found in San Sebastian Spain.
This Limited 14KT Yellow Gold Blessed Mother (Our Lady of Victory) comes on an 18in 14KT Yellow Chain
Stunning image of St. John Bosco on the back of the medal.
Mary, as the mother of God, specifically, Jesus, holds a highly venerated position in Faith. Her purity as symbolized in the absence of original sin elevates her importance in salvation and the angel Gabriel in the bible, addresses her as “Hail, full of grace”. Mary’s other title as Queen, as Jesus is referred to as King, implies she is our spiritual mother, nurturing our spiritual life of grace throughout our lifetime. Her role in the miracles of Christ’s life is well documented in the Bible and the many events of her life are celebrated as miracles as well.
Faith, Hope, and Charity, daughters of Sophia whose name means Wisdom, died as virgin martyrs in the 2nd century AD at a very young age during the Roman rule of Hadrian in the 2nd century. Oftentimes, mystical virtues became names at Baptism as in the case of 12-year-old Faith, 10-year-old Hope, and 9-year-old Charity. The New Testament endorses strongly these three virtues and Charity is often called love. Church feast days celebrate these virtues and the saint's martyrdom on August 1st (Roman) and September 17th (Eastern), while specifics vary on the saints celebrated. The Sanctus Collection commemorates these virtues with simple yet beautiful vintage symbols of the cross, anchor, and the Sacred Heart, universally communicating the sublime meaning of Faith, Hope, and Charity.
The cross is a symbol that appears in ancient art and at times carries sacred meaning within cultures, even prior to the crucifixion of Christ. Adopted as a symbol by early Christians based on Christ's crucifixion, the cross today, evokes the passionate meaning of both suffering and salvation, fusing the human and the Divine. Today, the cross is synonymous with Christianity. While a cross that carries the Copus of Christ may emphasize we are not alone in our suffering, the unadorned cross often connotes Resurrection and Salvation. The Universal and powerful cross is reinterpreted throughout the Brother Wolf Collection in many meaningful renderings such as this Jerusalem Cross. It expresses its own Personal devotion of the one who wears the cross.