BE CATHOLIC +Celebrate Our Traditions
Today the Church celebrates the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of the Church’s four major basilicas.
According to an ancient account, in 358 A.D., a wealthy and childless Roman couple prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary for guidance on where to donate their immense wealth. In separate dreams, Mary directed them to build a church at a location she would reveal by the miraculous appearance of snow during midsummer. The next morning, August 5, snow blanketed the Esquiline Hill, where the future basilica would be erected.
The basilica now houses fifth-century mosaics, wood from our Lord’s holy crib, a painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary credited to St. Luke, and countless magnificent treasures of our Catholic history.
We have a special page for the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where we answer questions such as:
- Why is St. Mary Major called Major?
- What is the image “Salus Populi Romani”?
- What makes a church a basilica?
Source: EWTN
For Updates & Live-Stream links, visit www.holycrossphl.org
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