August – Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
by Admin Office
The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of August to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, while also celebrating three major feast days dedicated to Our Lady. The feast days include the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on Aug, 5, the Assumption on Aug. 15 (a holy day of obligation), and the Queenship of Mary on Aug. 22.
Originally, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was celebrated on Aug. 22 when Pope Pius XII set the feast day in 1944 due to the turmoil and horrors caused by World War II and his devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. But in 1969, Pope St. Paul VI moved the feast day to the Saturday after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which allows the feast days to be celebrated back-to-back.
