Jan. 1 marks more than the start of a new year — it is also the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and the World Day of Peace.. The two celebrations are connected because, as St. Paul VI wrote in ...

Jan. 1 marks more than the start of a new year — it is also the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and the World Day of Peace. The two celebrations are connected because, as St. Paul VI wrote in ...

For Catholics, New Year's Day isn't just the first day of the new year: It's a day of holy obligation. January 1 marks the Solemnity of Mary, a day the honors the role of Mary as the Mother of God ...

On Aug. 15, Catholics around the world mark the Assumption of Mary, commemorating the end of her earthly life and assumption into heaven. But while the feast day, a solemnity, is a relatively new ...

On March 25, 2025, Catholics around the world celebrated the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, a date that marks the moment when the Virgin Mary, with faith and obedience, accepted the ...

This solemnity shows the relationship between Mary and her son, ... in celebrating her special feast day. Mary’s role as mother of God places her in a unique position in God’s redemptive plan.

Around 1970, Pope St. Paul VI chose this day to institute the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The feast is rooted in the Council of Ephesus, which took place in 431 AD.

Editor’s note: Pope Francis delivered this homily at Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Jan. 1, 2023, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and the 54th World Day of Peace.

IN the Catholic Church, the very first day of the New Year is the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God — the Octave (eighth day) of Christmas. Every year I write about the Christmas season and insist ...

For Catholics, New Year's Day isn't just the first day of the new year: It's a day of holy obligation. January 1 marks the Solemnity of Mary, a day the honors the role of Mary as the Mother of God ...

CNA Staff, Aug 15, 2024 / 04:00 am. On Aug. 15, Catholics around the world mark the solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, commemorating the end of her earthly life and assumption into heaven.