The Assumption of the Blessed Mary

On Thursday, August 15th, the church has always held to the belief that Mary was assumed, body and soul, into a heavenly state, even though the belief was not declared as dogmatic until 1950.  The early church had a robust tradition of revering relics from the saints of the day, and their complete lack of relics from the Mother of Jesus was seen as evidence of this Marian belief.  The celebration of the event as a feast dates back to the fourth century in the East and the seventh century in the West. (Read more…)