Mary
Mary (Blessed Virgin Mary) According to Christian belief, mother of Jesus Christ (believed active 1st century ad). She figures prominently in the first two chapters of the Gospels according to Saint Matthew and Saint Luke, which record Christ's birth. Mary has always been held in high regard in Christendom. In the early Church, the principal Marian feast was the Commemoration of St Mary, from which developed the feast of the Assumption (August 15). Other Marian feasts are: the Nativity (September 8), the Annunciation or Lady Day (March 25), the Purification or Candlemas (February 2), the Visitation (July 2), and (for Roman Catholics) the Immaculate Conception (December 8).
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Mary
