The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us! 

Today celebrates the taking up of Mary into Heaven body and soul because being the Immaculate Mother of God, the first and most perfect Christian, She did not suffer the corruption of the grave. Today is special because it is the day some non-Catholic denominations honor St. Mary, Mother of Our Lord. Other denominations call today the Dormition, translated to Mary’s falling asleep and not dying before entering Heaven as only Mary’s glorification is dogmatic and not whether She endured a ‘typical’ human death. Today’s liturgical color is white or gold for the glory of God shown in the life and Assumption of Mary. The faithful can show devotion to Mary by wearing these colors, blue for Mary’s royalty, stars or flower prints. The word Assumption comes from the Latin verb assumere, meaning "to take to oneself” as God takes His chosen one to Himself. This feast is the most anciently celebrated in honor of Our Lady starting in Palestine. Today’s date was chosen for the believed historical date of Mary’s passing to Eternal Life. Similar to some customs surrounding Easter some cultures will decorate a tomb and carry statues of Mary on a bier where people dressed as angels chant her praises and retrieve a Marian image from the tomb dressed in beautiful robes. The aforementioned is typical for France whereas Armenia extends the celebration of Mary from August 14th-22nd. Finally, from today through September 15th is known as Our Lady’s 30 days and the harvest is especially blessed and nature and humans live in harmony. Therefore, images of Mary are commonly dressed in corn sheaves and the first food eaten today is grapes blessed at Mass, sometimes fruit is also abstained from on August 1st until after Mass. Still today some places bless herbs today remembering the herbs placed in Mary’s tomb. Many processions take place today including priests through gardens and vineyards, some with immense candlesticks, as well as similar to at Easter a statue of Mary passes under gates adorned to resemble Heaven’s gate, where She bows towards a statue of Christ who escorts Her into the parish church. Bells will toll and Marian hymns are sung.

Stemming from ancient tradition bless your garden, pets and family today in honor of Our Lady’s Assumption! Today is also a special day to be enrolled in the brown scapular. As the “first fruits” are blessed today perhaps consider a party or a picnic where you share the goodies blessed today.

 
“We pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” -Pope Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus, November 1st 1950 

Almighty ever-living God, who assumed the Immaculate Virgin Mary, the Mother of your Son, body and soul into heavenly glory, grant we pray, that, always attentive to the things that are above, we may merit to be sharers of her glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen

Continue to celebrate today’s great feast through the octave on August 22nd the feast of Mary’s Coronation. 

The Proclamation of the Dogma

Assumption Resources

Pope Francis Angelus Address

A Transcript of the Angelus Message

The Church of the Dormition

A Video of the Site of the Assumption

Holy Land Assumption Celebrations

A Mystical Vision of the Assumption Bk 8, Ch 7
Another Mystical Vision

Mary's Assumption (Movie Clip)

The Assumption for Kids

Mary's Assumption in Art and Legend

More Assumption Artwork

St. Gertrude Revelations for the Feast (pages 432-446) 

See the “Mary” section of this post

Marylike Holiness (Humility, simplicity, charity)

Indulgences: A plenary indulgence is given for visiting a church on the feast of its titular Saint. Any church titled St Mary's or Assumption Parish holds a plenary indulgence under the normal conditions (see indulgences section) and for praying the creed and Our Father once. This indulgence is extended to certain Marian basilicas for this feast day. For those consecrated to Mary on this feast in previous years and renew their indulgence a plenary indulgence can be gained today. To make this renewal more efficacious see here. For members of the Rosary Confraternity and Living Rosary a plenary indulgence is gained under the usual conditions.

Local Events: Google "Local events for the Feast of the Assumption". In Buffalo, NY there are usually events at St. Mary's in Swormsville, St. Mary's in Lancaster and Mary, Help of Christians Parishes. Our Lady of Victory Basilica is also celebrating their Centennial anniversary through 2026.

Notes: Dormition refers to Mary’s falling asleep per Orthodox belief, the Assumption is Her glory.

Note in the preceding image how Our Lord holds Mary as a tiny baby depicting Her soul as newborn for Eternal Life!

Artwork of the Assumption is very easily confused with artwork of the Immaculate Conception. Commonly the Assumption features an adult Mary, a tomb, flowers and Mary's arms open and Her head is veiled. The Immaculate Conception depictions commonly paint Mary as younger, unveiled, with hands folded, the moon and serpent under Her feet.

 

This image is from the Basilica of the Assumption the first Basilica of America on the Assumption is when America’s first Bishop was consecrated.

Resources: The Holyday Book by Fr. Weiser