Pope Francis has added a new celebration in the Roman Catholic calendar — Mary “Mother of the Church” feast will be celebrated on the Monday following Pentecost. Pope Francis wants the devotion to “encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors, religious and faithful, as well as a growth of genuine Marian piety.” The scriptural basis for this feast is the scene at the cross where Jesus tells the Beloved Disciple, “Behold, your mother.” St. Augustine in reflecting on Mary’s maternity reminds us that every Christian is a “God-bearer,” someone who brings Christ into the world. Mary as Mother of the Church serves as a model for each one of us that in our lives God’s mercy comes to birth.
