Everything You Need to Know about the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

By Maria Bohan

Did you know that today is a holy day of obligation?

On this day, we commemorate God taking Mary, body, and soul, into Heaven.

Here are some quick facts to help you observe the day:

· Belief in the Assumption dates back as early as the 5th century AD, when, in response to a Roman emperor’s request for Mary’s body, St. Juvenal maintained that her tomb was empty.

· The dogma of Mary’s assumption is universally supported throughout the Church’s history.

· It was ruled an official dogma of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

· Some countries call the feast day the Dormition of Mary instead of the Assumption.

· Some cultures celebrate by throwing coins from windows to the street, lighting bonfires, and by tending to a Mary garden.

Celebrate this day by attending mass at your local church, or by saying a decade of the rosary. Most importantly, thank the Blessed Mother for answering the prayers of the world time and time again.

​Maria Bohan is a Volunteer for the Communications and Development Office at the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Blauvelt, New York. She is a student at Bryn Mawr College majoring in English and a graduate of Pearl River High School.