The Roman Catholic Church observes today, June 1, the Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church in celebration of the Blessed Mother’s important role as the Mother of the Church and as a way to foster Marian piety and the maternal sense of the Church.
Pope Francis added the new Church observance in March 2018 to be observed on the Monday after Pentecost. The Catholic Church observed Pentecost Sunday on May 31 in commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles of Jesus Christ.
Cardinal Robert Sarah, head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, in a letter said, Pope Francis added the memorial to the Roman Calendar after carefully considering how the promotion of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under this particular title might encourage growth in “the maternal sense of the Church” and in “genuine Marian piety.”
“This celebration will help us to remember that growth in the Christian life must be anchored to the Mystery of the Cross, to the oblation of Christ in the Eucharistic Banquet, and to the Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of the Redeemed,” Cardinal Sarah said.
“The joyous veneration given to the Mother of God by the contemporary Church, in light of reflection on the mystery of Christ and on his nature, cannot ignore the figure of a woman, the Virgin Mary, who is both the Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church,” he added.
The Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, has been added to the General Roman Calendar, the Roman Missal, and the Liturgy of the Hours. The Latin text has been published, and the translations will be prepared by the bishops’ conferences and approved by the congregation.
A celebration of a memorial generally means that prayers and readings specific to the day’s memorial are used in the Holy Mass.
The Marian title of Mother of the Church was given to the Blessed Mother by Blessed Pope Paul VI at the Second Vatican Council.
It was also added to the Roman Missal after the Holy Year of Reconciliation in 1975.
The Catholic News Agency said some countries, dioceses and religious families were granted permission by the Holy See to add this celebration to their particular calendars. (Christina I. Hermoso)