# The dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major
*2015-08-05*

> Bill Young discusses the history and significance of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, commemorating its dedication and the miracle of Our Lady of the Snows.

## The Miracle of Our Lady of the Snows

Today is August 5th, and we are offering a special dedication prayer for St. Mary Major in Rome. This basilica is also known as Our Lady of the Snows because of a miracle that occurred on the night of August 4th and 5th in the year 358 AD. In the heat of August, snow began to fall in the specific location where the basilica now stands.

According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream to the Pope and to a patrician named John and his wife, asking them to build a church in her honor. She indicated that the church should be built where the snow fell on that August night. The Pope went and traced the outlines of the church in the snow, and the first basilica was built on that site.

## The Council of Ephesus and Divine Motherhood

While the first basilica was built early on, it was not completed until a century later. This site became centrally important during the Council of 431, during which Mary was declared to be the Mother of God. St. Mary Major stands as a memorial to that council, where the dogma of Mary's divine motherhood was solemnly defined, leading to a noble increase in the veneration paid to her.

## A Bethlehem in the Eternal City

The basilica serves as a kind of Bethlehem within the Eternal City. As a station church, it has served as the center of Rome for the first Mass on Christmas. The church houses a tabernacle containing a picture of Mary with the Divine Child, further emphasizing its role as a place of devotion.

## A Sanctuary for Pilgrims

St. Mary Major was Christendom's first great shrine for pilgrims. It set the precedent for countless shrines throughout the world where pilgrims gather to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. The basilica also houses artifacts that have been a source of blessings and graces for Christians throughout the past and present.

## Closing Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Grant to us, thy servants, we beseech thee, O Lord God, that we may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body, and through the intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and possess eternal joy. Amen.

*St. Mary Major stands as a testament to the divine motherhood of Mary and serves as a historical beacon for pilgrims seeking her intercession.*