St. Mary Magdalene: Feast Day, Patronage & Prayers
Updated: Oct 3
Feast day: July 22 (Feast of St. Mary Magdalene)
Patron of: Penitents and converts.
About St. Mary Magdalene
St. Mary Magdalene, from the town of Magdala on the Sea of Galilee, was a devoted follower of Jesus. St. Luke tells us that Jesus had cast seven devils out of her, and that she was among the women who traveled with Jesus and the apostles and supported them from their own means. She stood near the Cross with the Mother of Jesus when most of the disciples had fled, and she watched where He was laid in the tomb.
On Easter morning she came to the tomb while it was still dark and found it empty. Weeping in the garden, she met a man she took to be the gardener, until He called her by name, "Mary," and she recognized the risen Lord. Jesus sent her to tell the disciples, and so the Church honors her with the ancient title "Apostle to the Apostles." In 2016 Pope Francis raised her memorial on July 22 to a feast, the same rank as the apostles. Western tradition long identified her with the repentant woman who anointed Jesus' feet, which is why penitents claim her. Her love teaches us to seek Jesus until we find Him.
Prayers to St. Mary Magdalene on Daily Catholic Prayers
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