Church

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Church Hierarchy

When he established His Church, Jesus placed the Apostles in charge of caring for the
faithful, of teaching them the faith and caring for their souls. And He placed Peter at the
head of the Apostles. Through Apostolic Succession, that same hierarchy willed by Jesus,
exists today in the Church with the Pope (the successor of St Peter) at her head, leading the
Bishops (the successors of the Apostles) who themselves lead the faithful in their local
Churches.

The Pope
At the head of the College of Bishops and called to lead the whole Church of Christ is the
Successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome, the Holy Roman Pontiff, the Pope.
The Pope is the Vicar of Christ on Earth. He stands in Christ's place, on Christ's behalf, to
shepherd Christ's flock.
Lumen Gentium states:
"[T]he Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire
Church has full, supreme and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can
always exercise unhindered."
The College of Bishops
Successors of the Apostles, the Bishops of the particular Churches throughout the world
form the College of Bishops. Individual bishops have charge of a particular diocese.
Together as a group the Bishops may exercise power over the Universal Church by coming
together in an ecumenical council (such as Vatican II). However, even ecumenical council's
must be recognised and agreed to by the Successor of Peter to be valid. To the extent that
the College of Bishops is not united with its head, the Pope, then it has no authority at all.

The Laity
The lay faithful are those baptised faithful not called by God to ordained ministry within the
Church. The laity, being immersed in the world, are called in a special way to bring Christ
to the world.
Pope Pius XII said:
"Lay believers are the front line of Church life; for them the Church is the animating principle
of human society. Therefore, they in particular ought to have an ever-clearer consciousness
not only of belonging to the Church, but of being the Church, that is to say, the community of
the faithful on earth under the leadership of the Pope, the common Head, and of the bishops
in communion with him. They are the Church."

The College of Cardinals
Although not forming part of the official hierarchy of the Church, certain bishops are
granted special status and position within the Church by being elevated to the College of
Cardinals. The primary role of the College of Cardinals is to act as special advisors to the
Pope and to come together on the death of a Pope to vote for his successor.
Episcopal Conferences (National Conferences of Bishops)
The individual Bishop has the primary duty of caring for the faithful in his diocese. It is he
who must teach them and shepherd them. However, every country or region now also has
an Episcopal Conference (eg, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the National
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Conference of Catholic Bishops in the United States, the Conférence des Evêon;ques de
France). The new Code of Canon Law reserves certain disciplinary decisions to the
Episcopal Conference for a region. For example, the general law in the Code of Canon Law
is that Catholics must do penance on Fridays by abstaining from eating meat, but it allows
the Episcopal Conference for each region to substitute a different penance if they choose
(which most appear to have done).
The Episcopal Conferences are not part of the Magisterium of the Church. They have no
authority to teach in and of themselves. Their interpretations of doctrine and
pronouncements on them are only binding insofar as your own bishop has lent his name to
the interpretation or pronouncement.
Cardinal Ratzinger has some interesting things to say about the danger of Episcopal
Conferences and their ability to stifle the voices of good bishops in The Ratzinger Report.

The Synod of Bishops
The Synod of Bishops is a formal body within the Church. It is an advisory body to the Pope
that meets in Rome on set occasions. It is largely a creature of the Second Vatican Council
and many considered it to be a continuation of the Council: the Bishops coming to Rome to
consider important issues and develop Church teaching. Many considered that the Synod
of Bishops was an expression of the collegiality of Bishops, a move towards the
democratization of the Church and the decentralization and diminution of Papal power. It
was considered that the Pope, although theoretically still in charge, would not act contrary
to the Synod of Bishops. With that perspective, the Synod of Bishops has proved to be a
toothless tiger.
In the sense that it is to assist the Holy Father to understand the needs of the Church
throuhgout the world, the Synod has proved to be valuable, and Pope John Paul II certainly
holds it in high esteem. But, the Synod really is only an advisory body and the final
decision (and teaching) remains with the Holy Father. Only Bishops together in a General
Ecumenical Council have the power to teach as a College (like the Second Vatican Council).
And even Ecumenical Councils are ultimately subject to the authority of the Holy Father.
It was the Synod of Bishops meeting on the Family that led to the Holy Father's Apostolic
Exhortation Familiaris Consortioon the Role of the Family in the Modern World.
More recently, there have been a number of Special Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops
from various regions of the World (the Special Assembly for Africa in 1995, the recent
Special Assembly for the Americas in December 1997 and next year will be the Special
Assembly for Oceania). These Special Assemblies are a special preparation for the Jubilee of
the Year 2000.

Brothers and Nuns
Although not part of the ordained hierarchy, there also exists within the Church those who
are called to live a life consecrated to God. These faithful profess the "evangelical counsels"
of charity, chastity, poverty and obedience under permanent vows as their state of life. This
may take many forms, including nuns (consecrated virgins), hermits, monks and friars.
These faithful live in community with each other according to the rules established for the
community and approved by Rome.




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THE TITLES OF MARY

The Blessed Virgin Mary is known by many titles. Some of these are outlined below.

Our Lady of La Salette. On Saturday afternoon, Sept. 19, 1846, two children , Maximin
Guiraud , 11, and Melanie Calvat, age 14, were tending sheep for their employers near La
Salette in the French Alps. During those days, the French Revolution was terrorizing the
Church, blood being spilled during the reign of Napoleon. In the parish of La Salette, few were
attending Mass and the sacraments were being neglected. Cursing was common, as was
impurity, greed and self-indulgence.

While tending their sheep, Maximim and Melanie saw a brilliant light, brighter than the sun. As
they approached, they noticed a “Beautiful Lady” seated on a rock and crying, with her face in
her hands. In tears, she stood and spoke to them in their local French dialect. The Virgin Mary
said, “Come to me, my children. Do not be afraid. I am here to tell something of the greatest
importance.” She continued, “If my people will not obey, I shall be compelled to loose my Son’s
arm. It is so heavy, so pressing that I can no longer restrain it. How long I have suffered for
you! If my Son is not to cast you off, I am obliged to entreat Him without ceasing. But you take
not the least notice of that. No matter how well you pray in the future, no matter how well you
act, you will never be able to make up to me what I have endured for your sake.”

“I have appointed you six days for working. The seventh I have reserved for myself. And no one
will give it to me. This it is which causes the weight of my Son’s arm to be crushing. The cart
drivers cannot swear without bringing in my Son’s name. These are the two things which make
my Son’s arms so burdensome. If the harvest is spoiled, it is your own fault. I warned you last
year by means of the potatoes. You paid no heed. Quite the reverse, when you discovered that
the potatoes had rotted, you swore, you abused my Son’s name. They will continue to rot, and
by Christmas this year there will be none left.”

“If you have grain, it will do no good to sow it, for what you sow the beasts will devour, and any
part of it that springs up will crumble into dust when you thresh it. A great famine is coming.
But before that happens, the children under seven years of age will be seized with trembling
and die in their parent’s arms. The grownups will pay for their sins by hunger. The grapes will
rot, and the walnuts will turn bad.” Then Our Lady said, “If people are converted, the rocks will
become piles of wheat, and it will be found that the potatoes have sown themselves.”

Our Lady asked the children if they prayed, to which they replied, very little. She insisted that
they say at least their night and morning prayers. At the end of the day, the children repeated
the story to each of their employers, the priest at La Salette and the governments officials who
were investigating. When investigating the site, someone broke a piece of the rock on which Our
Lady had stood. Suddenly, a spring of water emerged. Some of the water was given to a woman
who was suffering a long-term serious illness. After completing her Novena on the ninth day,
she was cured.

When Bishop Bruillard of Grenoble heard of this, he initiated an investigation of the apparition.
In the meantime, there continued to be more miraculous cures. The people started going to
Church again. They stopped swearing and working on Sundays. They turned their lives around.

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Five years later, on Sept. 19, 1851, Bishop Bruillard determined that the apparition “bore in
itself all the marks of truth and that the faithful are justified in believing it to be certain and
indubitable.”

The Blessed Mother. She is called blessed because of the scriptural references. Her
kinswoman Elizabeth told her "Blessed are you among women..." Luke 1:42. Mary herself said
"All generations will call me blessed" Luke 1:48.

Mother of God. Perhaps her most common and most profound title is Mother of God. She was
declared to be the Mother of God at the Council of Ephesus in 431. That council decreed Can.
1. If anyone does not confess that God is truly Emmanuel, and that on this account the Holy
Virgin is the Mother of God (for according to the flesh she gave birth to the Word of God become
flesh by birth), let him be anathema. The Council of Ephesus was called to combat the heresy
of Nestorianism, which held that in Jesus Christ there were two persons. The official title given
to her at the Council of Ephesus was Theotokos which means "God-Bearer". For this reason
she is also known as "The Ark of the New Covenant". The Church celebrates her title of "Mother
of God" with a solemnity on January 1st.

Mother of the Church. Because the Church is Jesus Christ, and Mary His mother, it is only
logical to call her Mother of the Church. Our Lord also indicated that Mary be the mother of the
Church when He presented her to St. John at the foot of the cross, with the words "Behold your
mother." John 19:27. Pope Leo XIII, and Paul VI both declared that she have this title.

The Immaculate Conception. Mary was declared to have been conceived without original sin
by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854. The Church makes the anniversary of Pius IX's
declaration December 8th a solemnity.

Our Lady of Lourdes. Just a few years after the declaration of Pius IX, in 1858 The Blessed
Virgin identified herself by this title in a private revelation to St. Bernadette Soubirous at
Lourdes in France. She asked the young Bernadette to drink from a spring where none existed.
Bernadette scratched the surface and water began flowing which has not stopped since. The
Church honors these events and remembers them with the optional memorial of Our Lady of
Lourdes on February 11th. This is the only title of Our Lady in the universal calendar based on
an apparition.

Queen of Heaven. She is known as Queen of Heaven because of scripture. "And a great portent
appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under feet, an on her head a
crown of twelve stars;" Revelation 12:1. She is often depicted in statue form, with these symbols
in place. The Church celebrates this title with a memorial on August 22 each year. This tile is
also honored by our meditation on the last glorious mystery of the Rosary.

Our Lady of the Rosary. She is known by this title by proclamation of Pope St. Pius V. In the
16th century, the Islamic Turks had prepared a huge fleet to sail west to attack southern
Europe. The pope begged that all Christians pray the Rosary for deliverance. The Turks were
defeated at the great naval battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. In gratitude that the tide of
history had been changed, Pius declared that October 7 would be remembered, and Mary
known by this title. The memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7 survives to this day.

Our Lady of Sorrows. This is another title bestowed through scripture. When Mary and St.
Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the temple they were met by St. Simeon who told her "a
sword will pierce through your own soul also" (Luke 2:35). This prophesy of sorrow itself is
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general, while scripture has enumerated them. Over the years the number of sorrows attached
to this title has solidified into seven, which traditionally are: the prophecy of Simeon, flight into
Egypt, loss of Jesus in the temple, way of the cross, crucifixion, the taking down from the cross,
and burial. The Church commemorates this title with a memorial on September 15.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Palestine area dedicated a
chapel to the Blessed Virgin. The order later spread and carried dedication to the Blessed Virgin
with them through the brown scapular. This order eventually became known as the Carmelites.
The optional memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated on July 16.

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Feast of the “Visitation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary” finds its origin in the Gospel of Luke. Mary, having heard at the Annunciation that
Elizabeth was six months pregnant, left her home to visit her. Upon her arrival, Elizabeth and
John the Baptist were inspired by the Holy Spirit. During this visit, Elizabeth prophesied. Mary
pronounced the "Magnificat." And then Mary remained with Elizabeth for some months.

The Solemnity of Mary: Mother of God. When the Blessed Virgin Mary visited Elizabeth after
the angel had appeared to her and told her that she would be the mother of Jesus, Elizabeth
said, "And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" [Lk. 1:43]
Through Elizabeth who was full of the Holy Spirit, it was acclaimed that Mary had been chosen
to be the Mother of God.

The Queenship of Mary. The special Liturgical Feast of the “Queenship of Mary” was
proclaimed by Pope Pius XII on October 11, 1954 through his Encyclical Letter "Ad Caeli
Reginam." The Holy Catholic Church made this proclamation in view of the fact that
throughout its history, whether in time of peace or war, the faithful have continuously
addressed prayers of petition and hymns of praise and veneration to the Queen of Heaven.
Following the tremendous destruction that occurred during World War II and considering the
reality that the threat of a similar catastrophe filled the faithful with a great anguish, the
Church turned to Mary, the Heavenly Queen, in the hope of her protection.

The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to Mosaic Law, when a mother gave
birth to a child, she was considered unclean for a number of days, during which she could not
go to the Temple. When the days were over, she was to bring to the Temple a lamb for a
holocaust and a young pigeon or turtle dove for sin. If unable to offer a lamb, she was to take
two turtle doves or two pigeons. Then the priest prayed for her and so she was cleansed. [Lev.
12:2-8]

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The title “The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary,” celebrated on November 21st, commemorates the presentation of Mary as a child in the
Temple, where, according to tradition, she was educated. This title originated in the Orient
around the 7th century. This Feast, recognized as a festival, is found in the constitution of
Manuel Comnenus in 1166 A.D. It was introduced into the Western Church in the 14th
century.

Our Lady of Victories. The title of “Our Lady of Victories” dates back to a historic battle
between Christian and Moslem forces at Leponto in 1521. May this be a reminder to Catholics
that the Blessed Virgin Mary has given a powerful weapon to prevail over the worldwide Moslem
terrorists who view Christians as infidels, having made it their mandate to kill them all unless
they convert to Islam.

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Our Lady of the Snow. This title of Our Lady of the Snow originated as a result of a miracle of
the snowfall that occurred during the night of August 4-5 in the year 358 A.D. on the site
where a Basilica now stands.

112. According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream to two faithful Roman
Christians, the patrician John and his wife, as well as to Pope Liberius (352-366), asking that a
church be built in her honor on the site where snow would fall on the night of August 4-5. Pope
Liberius traced the outlines of the church in the snow and the first basilica was built on that
site. It was completed about a century later by Pope Sixtus III (432-440), after the Council of
Ephesus in 431 A. D. at the time when Mary was declared to be the Mother of God.

Our Lady of the Rosary. Saint Dominic (Domingo de Guzman) was a Spanish preacher who
went to southern France to oppose the Albegesian heresy which was spreading rapidly. In 1208
A.D., while he was praying at a chapel in Prouille, France, Mary appeared to him and gave him
the Rosary and urged him to preach it to all the people as a remedy against heresy and sin.
Saint Dominic founded an order of preaching friars who went on to halt the Albegesian heresy
and establish monasteries all over the world. His religious Order is commonly referred to as the
Dominicans.

Our Lady of the Pillar. After the crucifixion , resurrection and ascension of Jesus, his
Apostles began to spread the message throughout Israel and shortly after, throughout the
Roman empire. One of these Apostles, James, the Greater, reportedly traveled as far West as
Spain to the village of Saragossa in North East Spain. While Saint James was there, he became
discouraged because of the failure of his mission. Tradition tells us that while he was deep in
prayer the Blessed Virgin Mother appeared to him and gave him a small wooden statue of
herself and a column of jasper wood, instructing him to build a church in her honor. "This
place is to be my house, and this image and column shall be the title and altar of the temple
that you shall build."

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. During the night of July 18-19, 1830, in the convent
chapel of the Daughters of Charity in Rue du Bac, Paris, France in 1830, Sister Catherine
Labouré, a novice, was summoned to the chapel. There she met with the Virgin Mary and spoke
with her for several hours. During the conversation Mary said, “My child, I am going to give you
a mission.” Beginning on November 27, 1830, Catherine received a number of progressive
apparitions that were associated with how the Miraculous Medal should look. Our Lady
explained that while she could obtain many graces for those who ask for them, many of those
graces were not bestowed upon the people because they were not asking for them. Mary told
Catherine, “Have a medal struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces,
especially if they wear it around the neck.” Catherine explained the entire series of apparitions
to her confessor, working through him to carry out Mary’s instructions. She never revealled to
anyone that she was Mary’s instrument to advance the Miraculous Medal until soon before her
death 47 years later. With the approval of the Catholic Church, Medals were made in 1832 and
were distributed in Paris. Immediately, the blessings that Mary had promised, began to shower
down on those who wore her Medal. The devotion spread like wildfire. Marvels of grace and
health, peace and prosperity, following in its wake. Before long people were calling it the
“Miraculous” Medal. And in 1836, a Canonical inquiry undertaken at Paris declared the
apparitions to be genuine.

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament. In 1868, Saint Peter Julian Eymard gave Mary the title of
“Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament” to honor her in her relationship to the Holy Eucharist and
to place her before us as a model to us in our duties and devotion to the Blessed
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Sacrament.Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament is the chosen and official Patroness of the
Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. Her Feast day is celebrated on May 13th , the date on
which the new Congregation received Archdiocesan approbation in Paris in 1856.

Our Lady of the Angels. In the city of Cartago, Costa Rica, as was the custom in colonial days,
the whites were segregated from the Indians and mestizos. Those who were not absolutely white
were not allowed to enter the city, where a stone cross marked the limits. On August 2, 1635,
Feast of the Holy Angels, a poor mestizo woman called Juana Pereira, in her daily search for
firewood discovered a three inch high image of the Virgin, simply carved on a dark stone, placed
conspicuously by the footpath. Juana happily picked up the treasure, with no idea that she
would find it five more times in the same place, because the image kept disappearing from
cupboards, chests and even the parish tabernacle, and on each occasion would return to the
same rock where it had been found. It was evident to all that the Virgin wanted a center of
worship there, where she could comfort the poor and humble.

Our Lady of Tears. While some believers associate the title of “Our Lady of Tears” with the title
of “Our Lady of Sorrows,” its true origin comes from the apparitions at “Our Lady of La Salette”
where the Virgin Mary was seen weeping because of the sins of the people. See “Our Lady of La
Salette” above for the origin of this title.

Our Lady of Sorrows. The title of “Our Lady of Sorrows” is also known as “Our Lady of Seven
Dolors.” It has its origin from the Gospel of John, Mary standing at the foot of the Cross [Jn.
19:25] and “Your own soul a sword shall pierce.” [Lk. 2:35] Other possible sorrows consist of:
there being no room in the inn [Lk. 2:7], the massacre of the innocents [Mt. 2:16-18], the
search for Jesus until the third day in Jerusalem [Lk. 2:41-50], Jesus' life threatened by the
townspeople of Nazareth [Lk. 4:28-30], and Jesus' life threatened by the Jewish authorities.
[Lk. 11:53-54]

Our Lady of Ransom. The name of “Our Lady of Ransom,” commemorated on September 24th ,
was changed to “Our Lady of Mercy” after Vatican II. See above for the history of this title.

Our Lady of Peace. Tradition has it that during 1682 A.D., some merchants found an
abandoned box on the shore of Salvador's "Mar del Sur." They were unable to open the box
because it was tightly closed and sealed. They concluded that it must contain something of
value, and decided to take it to the City of San Miguel where they would find out how to open it.
Tying the box on a donkey's back, they undertook the long and dangerous journey to the city
where they arrived on November 21st. Intending to inform the local authorities of their find,
when passing by the parish church, the donkey laid down on the ground. They were then able
to open the box and were surprised to find that it contained a lovely image of Our Lady holding
the Child. The origin of this image is still a mystery as it never was known for whom the box
was intended, or how it came to reach the beaches of Salvador.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In England, in 1251 A.D., the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to
Simon Stock. Giving him the Scapular, she said, "My beloved son, receive this Scapular for
your Order. It is the special sign of a privilege which I have obtained for you and for all God's
children who honor me as Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Those who die devotedly clothed with
this scapular shall be preserved from eternal fire.”

Our Lady Of Mercy. Tradition has it that around 1218 A.D., St. Peter Nolasco and James I,
King of Aragon and Catalonia, experienced separately a vision of the Most Holy Virgin who
asked them to establish a religious Order dedicated to rescuing the many Christian captives
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held by the Moslems. This Order of Our Lady of Mercy, approved as a military order in 1235
A.D. by Pope Gregory IX, was able to liberate thousands of Christian prisoners, and later
became dedicated to teaching and social work.

Our Lady of Knock. In the 1870's, the county of Mayo, Ireland, was in great distress, enduring
famines and economic dislocations produced by forced evictions that created another wave of
Irish immigration. On August 21st, 1879, there was another day of heavy rains in County
Mayo. That evening, Margaret O’Beirne was sent by her brother to lock up the local Church.
Completing her task, she noticed a strange brightness covering the Church. But she ignored
this, having other things on her mind. Another member of her family, Mary O’Beirne, having
completed a visit with the Church’s housekeeper, Mary, McLoughlin, was walking down the
road from where she could clearly see the Church. Turning to Mary McLoughlin, Mary O’Beirne
said, “O look at the statues.” Her companion responded that she was not aware that the priest
had got new statues for the chapel. As they got closer, they noticed movement, realizing that
they were not statutes, but people.

Our Lady of Hope. “Our Lady of Hope” is also known as “Our Lady of Pontmain.” The most
popular devotions to “Our Lady of Hope” originate from her appearance to several children in
Pontmain, France, on January 17, 1871. It should be noted that Our Lady of Hope was known
by this title prior to this time. A canticle had been written in honour of her by the
Archconfraternity of Our Lady of Hope in Saint-Brieuc, France.

Our Lady of Guadalupe. In 1531 a "Lady from Heaven" appeared to Juan Diego, a poor Indian,
at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of Mexico City. She identified herself as the Mother of the True
God, instructed him to have the bishop build a temple on the site and left an image of herself
imprinted miraculously on his tilma, a poor quality cactus-cloth. This cloth should have
deteriorated in 20 years but shows no sign of decay nearly 500 years later. It defies all scientific
explanations of its origin.

Our Lady of Fatima. From May 13th to October 13th, 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared to three
shepherd children, Lúcia Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto in the Cova da
Iria fields outside the village of Aljustrel, very close to Fatima, Portugal. Lúcia described Mary
as "more brilliant than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and stronger than a crystal glass
filled with the most sparkling water and pierced by the burning rays of the sun."

Our Lady of Lourdes. Starting on February 11, 1858, the Virgin Mary appeared eighteen times
in Lourdes, France, to a 14 year old peasant girl named Bernadette Soubiroux. Bernadette was
the oldest daughter of one of the poorest families in the town, her father being unemployed.
Sick with a cold, she still went out with her sister and another girl to fetch some firewood.
During this outing, while the other two had wondered away, Bernadette experienced her first
apparition of a lovely Lady at the Grotto of Massabielle. Upon seeing the Lady, who had a
rosary draped over her right arm, Bernadette began to pray the Rosary. At the time, Bernadette
did not know who the Lady was.

Our Lady of Czestochowa. The origin of the miraculous image of Our Lady in Czestochowa,
Poland, is uncertain. According to tradition, the painting was a portrait of Our Lady that was
done by Saint John sometime after the Crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus and it remained in the
Holy Land until its discoverery by St. Helena of the Cross in the 4th century. The painting was
taken to Constaninople, where St. Helena's son, the Emperor Constantine, erected a church for
its enthronement. This image was revered by the people of the city.

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Our Lady, Help of Christians. The Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, was instituted by
Pope Pius VII. By order of Napoleon, the Pope was arrested on 5 July 1808, and imprisoned at
Savona and Fontainebleau, France. In January 1814, after the battle of Leipzig, he was brought
back to Savona and set free on March 17th, the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy, the
patroness of Savona. The journey to Rome was a veritable triumphal march with the pontiff,
attributing the Blessed Virgin the victory of the Church after so much agony and distress. He
visited many of the Marian sanctuaries on the way, crowning her images, and finally entered
Rome on May 24, 1814, to enthusiastic crowds.

Our Lady of Charity. Around 1608, two brothers, Rodrigo and Juan de Hoyos, and a 10 year
old slave boy named Juan Moreno, left Santiago del Prado (now known as El Cobre, named
after the copper mines), Cuba in search of salt to preserve meat for the copper miners. Having
traveled halfway across the Bay of Nipe they decided to put in for the night to wait out a strong
storm. The next morning, it appeared that a small white bundle was floating across the water
towards them. It turned out to be a 16 inches statue of Our Lady. Attached to a board, the
statue was completely dry and bore the inscription “I am the Virgin of Charity.” A shrine was
built immediately, and instantly became a pilgrimage destination

The Immaculate Heart of Mary. While the devotion to the Virgin Mary was popular in the
17th century, it was not until 1805 that the Feast of the Pure Heart of Mary received formal
recognition by the Church. When Our Lady of Fatima appeared to the three children in 1917,
she emphasized the need for steadfast prayers, true repentance and penance for the sins of
men. Over and above this, she asked for the Consecration of the world to her Immaculate Heart
in order to obtain peace in the world and the conversion of Russia. Within a few years, the Holy
Catholic Church officially recognized the apparitions of Fatima. Overnight, the title of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary reached every continent to find its way in most Catholic homes in
the form of holy pictures, statues, medals, etc... Following this, in 1942, Pope Pius XII
consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Two years later, in 1944, the Feast of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary was instituted in the Western Church. In 1945, to promote
devotion, the Vicar of Rome established the new Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on
August 22nd and extended it to the Universal Church.

The Holy Name of Mary. The Feast of the Holy Name of Mary was instituted in thanksgiving
for the defeat of the Moslem Turks. In 1683, Vienna was besieged by an army of 550,000
Turkish invaders who had reached the city walls and threatened all of Europe. John Sobieski,
the King of Poland, a religious prince, came to the assistance of Vienna with a smaller army on
the octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After serving the priest during the
celebration of the Holy Mass and having received Holy Communion, he rose against the enemy
by stating, "Let us march with confidence under the protection of Heaven and with the aid of
the Most Holy Virgin!" At the approach of King John and his army, the Turks were struck with
a sudden fear and fled in complete disorder.