“A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”   Revelation 12:1  

 Tuesday, August 15, marks a joyous feast in the liturgical year. Our Lady’s Assumption into heaven was affirmed by the Second Vatican Council in one of its principal documents called Lumen gentium. Its declaration is now part of the Catholic Catechism: “Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.” (Catholic Catechism, Article 9, Paragraph 6, 966)  

Join with members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal in praying this prayer throughout the month of August and especially during the nine days of the Novena of Masses being held August 6-14, at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and on the Solemnity of the Assumption, August 15.  

 You may also burn a Votive Light, confident that the Queen of Heaven will not delay in presenting your special intentions to our sovereign King and Lord of all, Jesus Christ.

Please share your prayer intentions for remembrance in our annual Assumption Novena of Masses beginning Sunday, August 6. Throughout the nine days, we will call to mind Our Lady’s Assumption into heaven, declared as official dogma of the Church in 1950 by Pope Pius XII. This year’s August 15 feast day readings highlight Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant, the queen who takes her place at God’s right hand, and one who is blessed because she hears the word of God and observes it. 

Ask heaven’s favored daughter to lift up your prayers into God’s presence during the Solemnity observance. You may also request a Votive Light to burn as a sign of your prayerful presence for this joyous feast. 

Your intentions will be remembered through the Solemnity of the Assumption Mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal on Tuesday, August 15 at 12:10 p.m., CT.  Read Father Kevin’s letter about the Assumption.

“My child, the good God wishes to charge you with a mission.”  On July 18, 1830, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal spoke these words to Sister Catherine Labouré, a novice of the Daughters of Charity in Paris, France. As we celebrate the 188th anniversary of Mary’s apparition to Saint Catherine, let us remember we, too, are Mary’s children. God wishes to charge us with the same mission of sharing his loving goodness with others. I invite you to send your petitions and burn a Votive Light at our Lady’s Altar, asking our Blessed Mother to obtain God’s graces for you, your family, and the entire world. They will be remembered in the Mass and prayers offered at the Shrine on July 18, the anniversary date.  Thank you for following Saint Catherine’s example and boldly accepting God’s mission given to us by our Lady.

Beginning Tuesday, August 6, at 8:00 a.m., CT, we will honor our Blessed Mother here at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal with a very special Assumption Novena of Masses. On each of these nine days we will celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in devotion to Mary, asking her to obtain for us God’s infinite graces. Please send me any special prayer intentions you have. We will place them at our Lady’s Altar and remember them in the nine Assumption Novena Masses we celebrate, including the Solemnity Mass on August 15. You may also wish to burn a Votive Light at the Shrine as an expression of your desire to honor Mary and seek her intercession. Read Fr. Kevin’s Assumption message to learn more about the Solemnity of the Assumption of our Blessed Virgin Mary. The Solemnity of the Assumption provides us with a wonderful opportunity to honor Mary, glorious in heaven, always interceding for us!

Beginning Monday, August 7, at 8:00 a.m., CDT, we will honor our Blessed Mother here at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal with a very special Assumption Novena of Masses.  On each of these nine days we will celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in devotion to Mary, asking her to obtain for us God’s infinite graces.  Please send me any special prayer intentions you have.  We will place them at our Lady’s Altar and remember them in the nine Assumption Masses we celebrate, including the Solemnity Mass on August 15. You may also wish to burn a Votive Light at the Shrine as an expression of your desire to honor Mary and seek her intercession.  Read Fr. Kevin’s Assumption message to learn more about the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Solemnity of the Assumption provides us with a wonderful opportunity to honor Mary, glorious in heaven, always interceding for us!