CATHOLIC FAITH

Image of Our Lady   By Edward Matulanya  Explore the major Marian apparitions recognized by the Catholic Church, their history, messages, and spiritual significance for believers worldwide. The Major Marian Apparitions Recognized by the Catholic Church are as expected below. 1. Our Lady of Guadalupe  According to Roman Catholic tradition, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Juan Diego in December 1531 near Tepeyac Hill, identifying herself as the Mother of the true God (Dios verdadero) and requesting the construction of a church (Brading, 2001; Poole, 2014). The miraculous image left on Juan Diego’s tilma has been studied historically and scientifically and continues to be venerated as a sign that leads the faithful to Christ, not as an object of worship itself (CCC, 971; Vatican II, 1964).  The iconography of the image reflects biblical and doctrinal themes, particularly Revelation 12, Marian cooperation in salvation history, and the Church’s teaching on inc...

Our Lady   By Edward Matulanya  Learn about the Holy Rosary in the Roman Catholic Church; its mysteries, prayers, and spiritual significance in meditating on the life of Jesus Christ. 1. Early Roots and Development The Rosary did not appear fully formed from the start; it developed gradually. Elements such as praying the Psalms, using physical counters (stones, knots, cords, beads), reciting short Marian prayers (especially “Hail Mary”) and the Lord’s Prayer, and meditating on Christ’s life predate what is today called the Rosary.  One early form was the “Psalter of Mary” (also called the Marian Psalter), which modeled itself on the 150 Psalms but substituted Hail Marys. This allowed the faithful, especially those unable to read the Psalms, to unite themselves to these prayers.  2. St. Dominic, Tradition, and the Dominicans Catholic tradition holds that St. Dominic (died 1221) received a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who gave him the Rosary (or instructed in it...