Some History
St Catherine's Aged Care Hostel Wangaratta was planned in 1965 when a local parishioner donated money to buy land to build an aged care Hostel. St Catherine's is dedicated to the Christian ideal of caring for the aged in our community and caters for all denominations.
A grant was obtained from the Commonwealth and State Governments where they paid $2 for every $1 raised. The Hostel was opened in 1967 in Ford St, Wangaratta. In 2001 St Catherine's was relocated to the present site in Ryley Street. St Catherine's is situated in the main area of Wangaratta, is convenient to the shopping area and overlooks Wangaratta's unique Merriwa Park.
The interior of the building is warm and provides our residents with the security in a home-like environment. Each bedroom has a floor area of 17m 2 with en-suite facilities.
Community lounges are conveniently located throughout the building. Ground floor provides for 31 high care bedrooms, office administration, personal care, kitchen, dining, laundry and staff facilities. The Director's office is located on the first floor, which is serviced by a lift. There are 38 low care bedrooms, medical room, bathroom, hairdressing salon, and a multi purpose function room. Tea and coffee making facilities are provided on both floors for use by our residents and visitors. A small general store exists on the premises: this is run by the ladies' auxiliary.
The building has been constructed with the residents' safety given the highest priority.
The ground floor covers an area of 176m 2 and has a link to Delany Chapel. Delany Chapel is located in the old Brigadine convent, building which now houses Catholic Education Offices for the Sandhurst diocese.
Origin and design of the Medal (Feast day 27th November)
The design of the "Miraculous Medal" was shown by Our Lady, during her apparition to a young French nun, Sister Catherine Labore in the Rue du Bac, Paris in 1831. The Blessed Virgin Mary showed Sr Catherine the design of the new medal she wanted people to have and then she asked her to get them manufactured. Sr Catherine with the help of her Spiritual Director got the medal produced. It was originally called the "Medal of the Immaculate Conception". Since there was a plague in France at the time and there was many cures through the medal the people of France just called it the "Miraculous Medal".
Explanation of the medal
The Front of the medal
On the front of the medal the Blessed Virgin Mary is depicted standing with her heel crushing the head of the serpent Satan, who is on top of the world. The Blessed Virgin Mary is showing us that she is the immaculate "New Eve" who was never conquered by Satan to sin. During the apparition Catherine could see rays coming from the Blessed Virgin's hands down onto the world. These are the graces that Mary obtains for us from her Divine Son Jesus to help us conquer Satan and his temptations for us to sin. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the "Mediator of all Graces". Catherine saw gaps in the rays coming from the Blessed Virgin's hands and she asked her the significance of this. The Blessed Virgin replied that the missing rays were to symbolize the graces she could obtain for people.. Around the border of the medal during the apparition Sr Catherine saw the prayer "Oh Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to you" which again shows that the Blessed Virgin is the sinless New Eve.
The Back of the medal
Around the border of the back of the medal we see 12 stars which symbolize the 12 Apostles. We are all called to be apostles and to share our Faith with others. In the center of the medal we see a Cross on top of an altar with a large M underneath. The " M " beneath the Cross symbolizes Mary, our Mother whose Divine Son suffered for our sins. Underneath the large "M" there are two hearts burning with love for mankind. On the left is the Sacred and Divine Heart of Jesus which is on fire with so much love for mankind that he died on the Cross for all of us. His Heart is crowned with thorns by our sins but also by the pain He suffers because so many of us doubt his love even though He suffered so much for us. The heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also on fire with love for us because she became our Mother also when she became the Mother of Jesus. Her heart is pierced with a tremendous sword of suffering and sorrow as she was foretold would happen by Simeon when Jesus suffered and died on Good Friday for us.
The Medal is a "Sacramental" which means that it is used by God to grant graces to His children and it should be blessed by a priest. The Blessed Virgin Mary asked "people" (not just Catholics or Christians) to wear the medal around their neck and she would protect them from Satan if they asked her for help. There are so many miracles attributed to the medal which serves to remind us that it really is from Heaven.
Sr Catherine was very humble and remained anonymous behind her Spiritual Director all her life. She died in 1876 and when the Church had examined her life and declared that she was truly a Saint it was also discovered that her body had never decayed .