Three August observances trace Mary’s journey from Mother of God to her Assumption into heavenly glory and Queenship beside her Son.
While Catholics often think of May and October as “Mary’s months,” August may be one of the most intensely Marian months on the Church’s liturgical calendar. Three observances this month highlight Mary’s role as Mother of God, her Assumption into heavenly glory and her Queenship beside Christ.
The Dedication of Santa Maria Maggiore (Aug. 5)
Aug. 5 commemorated the dedication of the oldest church in the West dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major) in Rome. Its story dates back to the 4th century. According to legend, a wealthy Roman nobleman named John and his wife, who had no children, prayed to Mary for guidance about what to do with their estate.
On the night of Aug. 4–5 in the year 358, both they and Pope Liberius reportedly received a vision in which Mary instructed them to build a church on the site where snow would miraculously fall.
On the morning of Aug. 5, snow was said to have covered part of Rome’s Esquiline Hill — a remarkable event in the heat of summer.
