The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
No fixed feast day in the calendar
On the cross, Jesus gives his Mother to the disciple; from then on, Mary is Mother of the whole Church
What is this feast?
The memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, is celebrated on the Monday right after Pentecost. On 21/11/1964, during the Second Vatican Council, Saint Paul VI proclaimed Mary Mother of the Church. In 2018, Pope Francis had this memorial added to the General Roman Calendar, through a decree of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
The story
Mary gave birth to Jesus. When Jesus hung on the cross, his Mother was standing by the cross (cf. Jn 19:25). Seeing his Mother and the disciple he loved standing beside her, Jesus said to his Mother: “Woman, behold, your son.” (Jn 19:26). Then he said to the disciple: “Behold, your mother.” From that hour, the disciple took her into his home (cf. Jn 19:27). That disciple stands for all the disciples, and that includes you.
After Jesus ascended into heaven, the Apostles “devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus” (Acts 1:14). Mary was in the middle of the young Church, praying with them as they waited for the Holy Spirit. That is why this feast is celebrated right after Pentecost: the Church has just been born of the Holy Spirit, and Mary is there like a mother with her children.
Why does the Church celebrate this feast?
The Church celebrates because Mary is not only the Mother of Jesus long ago, but also the Mother of all Christians today. Mary does not take the place of Jesus; she always shows us the way to her Son and prays for us. This feast also reminds us that the Church is a family: it has a Mother, and brothers and sisters all over the world.
A lesson for you
- Pray a Hail Mary every day, asking Mary to watch over the Church.
- Treat everyone in your parish like brothers and sisters in one home.
- Like the disciple who took Mary into his home, place a picture of Mary on your family altar and pray the Rosary together with your family.
Identifying marks
- Our Lady holding the Child Jesus in her arms: she is the Mother of Jesus, the Head of the Church, so she is also the Mother of everyone who belongs to the Church.
- The Child Jesus raising his hand in blessing: Mary always leads everyone to her Son, who gives salvation.
- A priest, a mother and young children around her, looking up joyfully: everyone in the Church, clergy and laity, grown-ups and children, is her child.
- The mother’s pink áo dài and the little girl’s white áo dài (the traditional Vietnamese long dress): Vietnamese people are also children in the family of the Church all over the world.
- A blue mantle with a gold border and a white veil over her head: colors often used in paintings and statues of Our Lady.
- Faint columns and a dome in the background: they recall the square and the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome, a sign of the Church united around the Pope; this is not a place where Mary lived.
- White clouds under her feet: Mary was taken up to heaven body and soul, and from heaven she still cares for her children.
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