This year also marked the jubilee of the 350th anniversary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus devotion, introduced by St. Margaret ...

GENAZZANO, Italy (AP) — The month of May is dedicated to Marian celebrations, so here’s a look at the history and traditions about Mary and why praying to her means so much to so many.

One Mary, a myriad titles According to the Gospel, Mary is the mother of Jesus — and the mystery of the incarnation of the son of God through her is central to Christian dogma.

Hail Mary, full of grace: Why popes and other Catholics pray to the Virgin Mary By GIOVANNA DELL'ORTO The Associated Press,Updated May 17, 2025, 2:08 p.m.

She’s either portrayed alone or, most often, holding the baby Jesus, as in the Genazzano 15th century painting, a close-up of the two faces with Jesus’ fingers holding his mother’s neck.

One Mary, a myriad titles According to the Gospel, Mary is the mother of Jesus — and the mystery of the incarnation of the son of God through her is central to Christian dogma.

And on his way back to the Vatican May 10, he went to Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major, stopping to pray at the tomb of Pope Francis and before the icon of Mary "Salus Populi Romani" (health of the ...

Whether in time of disease, war or distress, the faithful have routinely communally petitioned her. Ancient Icon of Mary When a devastating plague broke out in Rome during the reign of St. Gregory the ...

The icon portrays Mother Mary holding child Jesus in her arms. The Basilica is the resting place for several notable personalities including Popes Sixtus V, Nicholas IV, and Clement VIII as well as ...

The basilica holds some of the Church's most important relics, including an icon of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus attributed to Saint Luke. For Catholics, it also holds pieces of wood ...

This photograph shows the interior of Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, the late Pope’s final resting place, a day prior to the Pope’s funeral, in Rome on April 25, 2025. Agence France-Presse ...