In the 15th century, Dominican friars and local rosary confraternities initiated the observance of a special feast dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. This tradition found its roots in the historical events of October 7, 1571, when Christian and Turkish forces
Notre Dame football is an American legend. Its home games are treated as rituals. Students pack the stands. At every game, rain or shine, they sing the school’s Alma Mater, accompanied by the equally legendary Fighting Irish Marching Band. These are the
The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows is celebrated on September 15 and commemorates the seven great sorrows of Mary, Mother of Jesus. The biblically-based sorrows are: the prophecy of Simeon; the flight into Egypt; the Child Jesus being lost for three
According to the apocryphal Gospel of James, Mary was the child of Sts. Joachim and Anne. Joachim had ventured out into the desert to lament their childlessness and learned in a vision that he and Anne would have a daughter. Ancient accounts
A reader writes: “St. Joseph could not be that old when Christ was crucified. He was 20-25 when he married Mary. Where was St. Joseph when Christ was crucified? How old was St. Joseph when he died?” Monsignor Charles Pope challenges the
A reader writes: “The Blessed Mother was assumed into heaven. Did Mary die a natural death, or was she assumed into heaven with her whole body and soul? Does the New Testament or the Acts of the Apostles cover the Assumption like
It was 10:30 at night when the beeping started in their hotel room, as Gretchen Crowe writes. Her littles were all sound asleep and their room was, naturally, on the 32nd of 33 floors. Only the restaurant with a view and the
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa exists to accomplish one mission: Leading people to Jesus through Mary. The shrine in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, houses several images of Our Lady of Częstochowa, also known as the “Black Madonna,” whose feast day falls
Aug. 15 marks the 300th anniversary of the coronation of the image of Our Lady of Koden in Poland. Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz as papal legate imposed new crowns, blessed by Pope Francis, on the image.
As the Church calls us to celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary’s assumption into heaven, Jem Sullivan of The Catholic University of America offers visio divina reflections for three classic pieces of sacred art depicting Mary’s rise to heaven. In these artworks, we