The Jubilee Year 2025, celebrated under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” holds special significance for members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal (AMM). For AMM Poland in particular, this year brings not only the universal call of the Jubilee but also the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the papal approval of the Association in Poland, a milestone that recalls the movement’s roots and its enduring vitality.
From Rue du Bac to Poland: The Birth of the Association
Fr. Franciszek Xsawery Domoradzki, CM (1842–1918)
The devotion to the Immaculate Conception, solemnly defined as dogma in 1854, had already been strengthened by the 1830 apparition of the Blessed Virgin to St. Catherine Labouré in the chapel on Rue du Bac in Paris. At Mary’s request, the Miraculous Medal was struck and quickly spread across the world as a sign of intercession and hope, preparing hearts for the proclamation of the dogma itself.
The Association of the Miraculous Medal owes its formal structure to the initiative of a Polish Vincentian priest, Fr. Franciszek Xsawery Domoradzki, CM (1842–1918). With the support of Archbishop Józef Bilczewski of Lviv and several bishops of the territory of Galicia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), Pope Pius X approved the Association for that region on June 3, 1905, granting the Miraculous Medal the same indulgences as the Blue Scapular of the Immaculate Conception.
Map showing the territory of Galicia (formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire)
A year later, on December 16, 1906, these privileges were extended to the universal Church. By July 8, 1909, the Association had received papal approval of its statutes, firmly rooting it in the Vincentian tradition as a global spiritual family.
Thanks to the careful archival research of the Congregation of the Mission (CM) Archives, the origins and early expansion of the AMM in Poland remain a rich source of inspiration for today’s members.
AMM Poland at 120: Remembering, Celebrating, Renewing
This year’s anniversary has been an occasion for AMM Poland to look back in gratitude and celebrate in faith. Their commemorations include:
Recherche archivistique et études sur les origines et le développement de l’Association en Pologne.- The continuation of the nine-year Novena leading to the 200th anniversary of the Rue du Bac apparitions in 2030, with each year dedicated to a fruit of the Holy Spirit. In 2025, the focus was “Mary, Model of Kindness.”
- The 45th National Pilgrimage to Jasna Góra in Częstochowa, which drew thousands of faithful in July. Pilgrims took part in formation days, retreats, conferences, and prayers highlighting kindness as a virtue rooted in faith.
- The consecration of AMM members, renewing their dedication to Mary Immaculate and their mission of evangelization.
- Joint celebrations with the Congregation of the Mission, honoring both the Association’s milestone and the 400 years of the Vincentian Charism, which continues to inspire the lay faithful today.
Pilgrims of Hope: A Mission for the Future
For AMM members in Poland and across the globe, the Jubilee Year and the 120th anniversary are not only occasions of remembrance but also of renewal. As the Association looks forward to the International Encounter in Paris in 2026 and the bicentenary of the apparitions in 2030, members walk as true “pilgrims of hope”—strengthened by Mary’s intercession, guided by the fire of the Holy Spirit, and inspired by the Vincentian mission to bring Christ’s hope to the world.
Materials provided by AMM Poland.
AMM International Secretariat.