The Roman Catholic Cycles
Roman Catholicism has historically had an extremely robust love for the Virgin Mary. Of all the churches, the Roman Catholic Church has the most days set apart for her commemoration. In fact, the entire month of May is set aside as Mary's month, and traditionally during this month, statues of Mary are crowned with flowers. October is also set apart as a month of the Rosary. The first Saturday of each month is also dedicated to Marian Devotions, a practice which began in the Middle Ages.
The Immaculate Conception |
December 8 |
The Assumption |
August 15 |
The Divine Motherhood of Mary |
March 25 |
The Annunciation |
March 25 |
Almost fifty days are marked on the calendar with special Marian emphasis, although these Marian feasts are not equally important.
Apparitions and Calendars
Many days of remembrance are related to the phenomenon of Marian Apparitions — times in which Mary appeared to Christians offering healing, warnings, or messages. Apparitions that have received formal approval from the Church have sometimes found places of designation on the Roman Catholic Calendar. Days are set apart for remembering Mary by her many titles — such as Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11), Our Lady of Fatima (May 13), Our Lady of the Snow (August 5), and Our Lady of Knock (August 21). These dates create a formal way for the church to remember these apparitions.
Titles to Be Remembered
On the Roman Catholic calendar there have also been days set aside for the purpose of remembering specific titles of the Virgin Mary that have had implications for those within the Church such as Our Lady Help of Christians (May 24), Our Lady, Mediatrix of All Graces (May 31), and Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament (May 13). All of these feasts help refresh the memory of the faithful as they move through the Church year, offering fresh insights into Marian possibilities.
On top of these many Marian Feasts, the Roman Catholic Church also has several major Marian feasts on the same days which are set apart in the Eastern Orthodox and Anglican Churches. In particular, Mary's Assumption is celebrated on August 15, the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25, and the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8 (the same day on which the Eastern Church celebrates her conception, without using the word “immaculate”).
symbolism
It is interesting to note the unity of major Marian feasts between the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican Churches that symbolize events in Mary's life. Although these feasts do not always share the same name (and each name may have meanings specific to the context of a particular tradition) the commonalities demonstrate a significant amount of unity.
After Vatican II (a major council of the Roman Catholic Church that took place from 1962 to 1965), there were several adjustments made to the Roman Catholic calendar. Important distinctions were made between the different feasts to help distinguish which feasts were most important, making some of the less significant feasts optional, although all of the feasts do help to complete the picture of the Virgin Mary's role in the Roman Catholic Church.
