A statue of Mary giving birth to Jesus was beheaded by an anonymous group of vandals, garnering support from traditionalist Catholics who have criticized the statue’s depictions.
Virgin Mary
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
From the Black Madonna to Our Lady of Lourdes, we see Mary in our own image
Whether in the Middle Ages or a modern Marian renaissance, how Mary looks can reflect and affirm the people she appears to.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Citing social media and abuses, Vatican updates norms for approving apparitions and visions
Today’s text from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith makes clear that henceforth, as a rule, the Holy See will not declare any alleged spiritual phenomenon, such as an apparition, as authentic‚ that is, “of divine origin.”
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Why supernatural apparitions are a mixed blessing for the Vatican
For every Fátima, there are dozens of unverified reports of divine messages, “weeping” statues, healing relics and prophetic revelations that have vexed church authorities and challenged the Vatican’s ability to track and verify such events.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
You don’t have to believe in Marian apparitions. But I do.
“You do not have to believe in Marian apparitions to be a good Catholic,” Father James Martin writes. “But I do. I’ve never had a problem believing in them.”
Posted inFaith, News
Vatican to publish updated norms for investigating alleged apparitions
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith will publish its new norms for the discernment of apparitions and other supernatural phenomena May 17, the Vatican press office said.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
The story of Our Lady of Altagracia, the Dominican Republic’s very own Mary
Dominicans celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Altagracia on Jan. 21. The image, which depicts an infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph, is the most popular devotion in the Caribbean nation. It has been for centuries.
Posted inFaith, The Good Word
Like Mary, we are most fully human when we meditate on our lives
A Homily for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, by Father Terrance Klein
Posted inFaith, The Good Word
This year’s Nobel laureate for literature illuminates the mystery of the Immaculate Conception
A Homily for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Father Terrance Klein
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Devotion to Mary can invigorate our love for the Eucharist
What if we brought together two currents: attachment to the Eucharist as liturgical action and devotion with attachment to the Blessed Virgin Mary? The conjunction of these currents can enable them to reinforce each other and can make a significant impact on our spiritual journeys.