The Feast of Our Lady of the Snows, celebrated on August 5, is one of the oldest Marian feasts in the Church, with its origin deeply rooted in Roman tradition and legend. The feast commemorates the miraculous foundation of the Basilica of St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) in Rome, also known historically as the Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows.
đź“ś Hagiographic Tradition and Origin
According to pious tradition, dating back to the 4th century:
- During the pontificate of Pope Liberius (352–366), a wealthy and devout Roman couple, lacking heirs, desired to donate their wealth to the Blessed Virgin Mary. They prayed fervently for guidance on how best to use their fortune in her honor.
- On the night of August 4–5, the Blessed Virgin appeared in a dream to both the couple and Pope Liberius. She instructed them to build a church in her honor at the place where snow would fall the next morning—a miraculous sign in the heat of the Roman summer.
- Indeed, on August 5, the Esquiline Hill was covered with freshly fallen snow, despite the season. The pope traced the outline of the future church in the snow, and the couple funded its construction.
This church would become the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the first and most prominent church in the West dedicated to the Mother of God.
⛪ Liturgical and Historical Notes
- The basilica was completed and consecrated under Pope Sixtus III (432–440), following the Council of Ephesus (431), which solemnly defined Mary as Theotokos—Mother of God. The basilica was hence a monument to Marian orthodoxy and veneration.
- While modern liturgical calendars now refer to this feast as the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the traditional name and devotion to Our Lady of the Snows remains cherished, particularly among those attached to the Traditional Latin Mass and older Roman calendars.
✨ Spiritual Themes and Symbolism
- The miraculous snow in summer evokes the purity and grace of Our Lady, who, untouched by sin, is the spotless mirror of God’s holiness.
- The dream shared by both the couple and the pope reflects the unity of the faithful and the Magisterium under Mary’s maternal guidance.
- The feast highlights Mary’s role not only as Mother of God, but also as patroness and protector of the faithful, who guides the Church even through extraordinary means.
🙏 Prayer for the Feast of Our Lady of the Snows
O God, who didst will to honor the glorious Mother of Thy Son by a wondrous apparition of snow; mercifully grant that we, who venerate the memory of this miracle, may through her intercession obtain forgiveness of our sins and be made worthy to partake of Thy heavenly kingdom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Traditional Collect from the Roman Missal, August 5 – Feast of Our Lady of the Snows)