The month of May is more than just a tradition: it's a truly spiritual time, a breath of fresh air in the Christian year. From a liturgical point of view, May does not contain a compulsory Marian feast (with the exception, depending on the year, of the Visitation celebrated on 31 May), and yet the whole month is lived in a Marian atmosphere. This is the fruit of a long popular tradition, encouraged by the Church, which sees this spring month as an invitation to renew our outlook, our faith and our hearts at the school of the Virgin Mary. Read more...

The month of May is now recognised throughout the Catholic Church as the "month of Mary", a special time when the faithful turn to the Virgin with particular affection. Read more...

For several centuries, the Catholic Church has dedicated the month of May to the Virgin Mary. This tradition, although popularised from the 18th century onwards in Europe, has its roots in much older devotion to the Mother of God. The month of May, synonymous with renewal, flowers and light, was naturally chosen to honour the Virgin Mary, also known as the "Flower of the Field", the "Queen of Heaven" or "Our Lady". This month is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Read more...

Every year, on 18 February and 16 April, the Catholic Church honours Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young visionary from Lourdes to whom the Virgin Mary appeared in 1858. These dates are essential for the faithful and pilgrims who come together to pray and celebrate the humble and exemplary life of this French saint. The feast of 18 February corresponds to the date when, according to Catholic tradition, the Virgin promised Bernadette: "I do not promise to make you happy in this world, but in the next". As for 16 April, it marks the anniversary of Bernadette's death in 1879 and is the official date of her liturgical feast. Read more...

Every year on 11 February, Catholics around the world celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. This date marks the anniversary of the first apparition of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, an event that profoundly transformed Lourdes and made it one of the world's greatest places of Marian pilgrimage. This festival is an occasion for prayer, meditation and spiritual renewal for the faithful. Read more...