Origin and significanceThe feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is celebrated on 8 September, nine months after the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This date was fixed by the Church as early as the first centuries, to mark the importance of Mary in the plan of salvation. Her birth is seen as the dawn that heralds the light of Christ, for it is through her that God has chosen to enter the world. Read more...

The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela has its roots in the heart of the Middle Ages, at a time when Christianity was seeking to affirm its faith and gather around holy places. After Jerusalem, the Holy Land and Rome, the shrine of Compostela was to become one of the greatest spiritual centres in the West. The figure of the apostle James the Greater, disciple of Christ and first martyr of the apostles, became the pivot of this devotion. Read more...

The medal of Saint Benedict is one of the most powerful and meaningful sacramentals in the Catholic tradition. At once a sign of faith, spiritual protection and personal commitment against evil, it has been worn and venerated for centuries by Christians all over the world. But what exactly does it represent? What is its origin? What do the letters engraved on its two sides mean? And how should it be used to receive its spiritual fruits? This text explores in depth the history, symbolism and practice associated with this medal unlike any other. Read more...

The scapular is one of the best-known and most symbolically rich devotional objects in the Catholic tradition. Worn on the chest and back, it is at once a spiritual garment, a sign of covenant, and a constant reminder of the Christian's commitment to live under God's gaze, at the school of the Virgin Mary. Of the many scapulars in existence, that of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the most widespread and the most steeped in history. Here is an in-depth look at the origin of the scapular, its theological significance, its link with Mary, and the right way to wear it. Read more...

A mystery of faith and hopeThe Assumption is the dogma according to which the Virgin Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was raised body and soul into the glory of Heaven. This mystery is not recounted in the Bible, but it stems from a very ancient tradition, widely shared by Christians of both East and West.It expresses the Church's faith in the unique holiness of Mary, Mother of God, full of grace, preserved from sin and intimately united to her Son to the end. She is the first creature to know the fullness of the resurrection, the icon of the glorified Church.The dogma of the Assumption was proclaimed on 1 November 1950 by Pope Pius XII in the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus. In it he solemnly affirmed that:"Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, ever Virgin, after completing the course of her earthly life, was raised to heavenly glory in body and soul." Read more...