Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
| Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene | |
|---|---|
_-_benedi%C3%A7i%C3%B3n_(5).jpg) Statue of Saint Mary Magdalane for the procession in Boisàn | |
| Observed by | Confraternities, rural communities, Provence, Philippines, Corsica |
| Type | Christian |
| Celebrations | Processions, Masses, folk dances, corridas |
| Date | July 22 |
| Related to | Saint Isidore the Laborer |
The Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, celebrated on July 22, is a Christian feast day honoring Saint Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus Christ's most prominent disciples. Recognized as the "Apostle to the Apostles" in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Anglican traditions, she is celebrated for her role as a witness to the Resurrection of Jesus. The feast has a rich history, with evolving liturgical practices and diverse local customs across Christian communities worldwide.
Background
[edit]Saint Mary Magdalene, often identified in the New Testament as a devoted follower of Jesus, is a significant figure in Christianity. According to the Gospels, she was healed by Jesus of seven demons (Luke 8:2), supported his ministry, stood at the foot of the Cross (John 19:25), and was the first to witness the resurrected Christ (John 20:11-18). Her role as the first to proclaim the Resurrection earned her the title "Apostle to the Apostles" in early Christian tradition.[1]
Historically, Mary Magdalene's identity has been debated. In Western tradition, she was sometimes conflated with Mary of Bethany and the sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50, though modern Biblical scholarship distinguishes these figures.[2] In 2016, Pope Francis elevated her memorial to a feast, underscoring her importance in the Church.[2]
History
[edit]The Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene has roots in Early Christianity, with evidence of her veneration dating to the 4th century. Early Christian texts, such as the Gospel of Mary, highlight her prominence among the apostles, though these texts were not included in the canonical New Testament.[3]
In the Middle Ages, her cult grew in Western Europe, particularly in Provence, France, where legends claimed she evangelized after Jesus' resurrection, living as a hermit in a cave at Sainte-Baume.[4] The Dominican Order, which promoted her as a model of penitence, further popularized her feast. By the 13th century, her feast day was fixed on July 22 in the Roman Calendar.
The Reformation saw divergent views: Catholics emphasized her penitential role, while some Protestant traditions focused on her as a disciple. In the 20th century, ecumenical efforts and Biblical scholarship clarified her role, leading to the 2016 elevation of her memorial to a feast in the Catholic Church, aligning it with the liturgical rank of the apostles.[2] After the liturgical revision in 1969 and 2021, the feast of Mary Magdalene continues to be on 22 July, while Mary of Bethany with whom it was conflated is now celebrated as a separate saint, along with her siblings Lazarus and Martha on 29 July.
Liturgy
[edit]In the Roman Catholic Church, the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene is celebrated on July 22 with proper liturgical texts. The Mass includes readings emphasizing her encounter with the risen Christ (John 20:1-2, 11-18) and her missionary role. The preface for the feast highlights her as the "Apostle to the Apostles," chosen to announce the Resurrection.[5]
The Gregorian propers for the feast, used in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, feature specific chants drawn from the Graduale Romanum. These include:
- Introit: Me exspectaverunt peccatores (Psalm 119:95-96), invoking the theme of awaiting salvation, reflecting Mary Magdalene's faithfulness.
- Gradual: Diffusa est gratia (Psalm 45:3), emphasizing grace and her role as a bearer of divine tidings.
- Alleluia: Maria, noli me tangere (John 20:17), directly referencing her encounter with the risen Christ.
- Offertory: Filiae regum (Psalm 45:10), highlighting her honored place among the faithful.
- Communion: Feci iudicium (Psalm 119:121), underscoring her righteousness and devotion.[6]
These chants, rooted in Gregorian tradition, emphasize her penitence and apostolic witness, creating a solemn and reflective tone for the liturgy.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the feast is observed with similar reverence, often including hymns from the Byzantine Rite that praise her as "Equal-to-the-Apostles." The Orthodox liturgy emphasizes her myrrh-bearing role at the tomb.[7]
In Anglican and Lutheran traditions, the feast retains similar themes but may incorporate simpler liturgical forms, focusing on her witness to the Resurrection. The Book of Common Prayer includes collects and readings for July 22.[8]
Local Customs
[edit]The Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene is celebrated with diverse customs worldwide, reflecting local traditions:
France
[edit]In Provence, particularly at Sainte-Baume and Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, pilgrims visit the cave and basilica associated with Mary Magdalene. Processions and Masses mark the feast, with some communities reenacting her arrival in France.[4]
In the Southwest of France, the Madeleine Festival ("Festival de la Madeleine") is a festive event combining a patronal feast and a feria in Mont-de-Marsan, the capital of the French department of Landes. Combining a funfair, street entertainment, and bullfighting, it is dedicated to Mary Magdalene, the town's patron saint and the traditional colors of blue and white, contrasting with the usual red and white of other ferios in the region.
Spain
[edit]In towns like Ronda, festivals include parades with statues of Mary Magdalene, accompanied by music and fireworks. Devotees offer flowers and candles, emphasizing her penitential role.[9] While the Magdalena Festival is celebrated in the Chapel of Mary Magadalene as the main festivity of Castellón de la Plana, the capital city of the province of Castelló, in the Valencian Community, Spain, it does not immediate recall Saint Mary Magadalene but rather the foundation of the city.
Philippines
[edit]In Catholic communities, novenas and processions honor Mary Magdalene as a patron of contemplative life and conversion. Some parishes hold dramatizations of her encounter with Jesus.[10]
Ethiopia
[edit]In the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, her feast includes vibrant liturgies with traditional chants and incense, reflecting her role as a myrrh-bearer.[7]
Italy
[edit]The festival of Santa Maria Madarena du boscu , which takes place in Taggia in July, has deep roots that go beyond the already ancient Christian tradition: the festival is mentioned in the statutes of Taggia as early as 1381. After 1716, with the birth of the "Maddalenanti" brotherhood, the festival took on a community character with an annual pilgrimage to the cave where, according to tradition, Mary Magdalene, around the 1st century AD, stopped before arriving in Provence where she later died.
During the Middle Ages, the famous "Fiera di Senigallia" took place as with the name of Fiera della Maddalena, in the days around the feast of Santa Maria Maddalena. The history of the Fiera di Senigallia can be dated by taking as a reference the dates of attestation of its exemption, the element that regulates its development by marking the day of beginning and end of commercial exchanges. For the Fiera della Maddalena di Senigallia, the first attestation of the celebration dates back to 1458, while the last is that of 1869, when the centuries-old celebration was abolished by the Italian unitary government.[11]
To this day, in places like Siena, the feast is marked by special Masses and communal meals, with some communities baking breads shaped like tears to symbolize her repentance.[12]
Gastronomy
[edit]
Various delicacies are associated to the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene. In Sienna, some pasticceria bake breads shaped like tears to symbolize her repentance. In Sicily, the Cuddura of Mary Magdalene are in the shape of a capital letter M. It carries symbols of royalty and worldliness: ring, bracelet, necklace, bag and fan, earrings, and a braid, symbol of her conversion. It is half braided to symbolize her past, and half loose for her present. The Cross symbolizes her presence at the foot of the cross and the grapes represent the blood of Christ.
References
[edit]- ^ "Saint Mary Magdalene". Catholic Online. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
- ^ a b c "Decree on the Celebration of Saint Mary Magdalene". Vatican.va. Congregation for Divine Worship. 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
- ^ Ehrman, Bart D. (2003). Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195141825.
- ^ a b "St. Mary Magdalen". New Advent. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
- ^ "Missal for the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
- ^ Graduale Romanum. Solesmes Abbey. 1961. ISBN 978-2852740945.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - ^ a b "Saint Mary Magdalene, Equal-to-the-Apostles". Orthodox Church in America. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
- ^ Book of Common Prayer. Church Publishing. 2019. ISBN 978-1640651258.
- ^ "Fiestas in Honor of Saint Mary Magdalene". Spain.info. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
- ^ "Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene in the Philippines". CBCP News. 2024-07-22. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
- ^ Marco Cassani (2020). La Fiera di Senigallia (1458-1869) tra storiografia e Apoche di Fiera (PDF). Quaderni del Consiglio Regionale delle Marche, a. XXV, n. 307. pp. 31–33.
- ^ Farmer, David (2011). Oxford Dictionary of Saints. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199596607.