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Slovaks Celebrating Feast of Our Lady of The Seven Sorrows Since 1966
Wednesday 15 September 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, September 15 (TASR) - The Feast of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows is a reminder that the Virgin Mary was proclaimed patron saint of Slovakia by the Holy See in 1927. Her day, September 15, has been celebrated by Slovak Catholics since 1966 following official papal acknowledgement. The feast became a national holiday in 1994.
The 'Seven Sorrows' feast was promoted across the whole Roman Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XIII in the 18th century, but was being celebrated a long time before that - in the Middle Ages. Pope Pius X chose September 15 as the day of the feast in 1913.
The Seven Sorrows refer to the following events based on Biblical accounts and Catholic tradition: Simeon's prophecy concerning Jesus; the flight to Egypt; the three-day disappearance of Jesus as a 12-year-old child; the meeting between Jesus and Mary on the way to the cross; the crucifixion; the taking down of Jesus's body from the cross into Mary's arms; and the burial of Jesus.
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