Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Friday, September 15
On September 15, the Church commemorates the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, a day on which we meditate on Mary’s sorrows as the mother of Christ and how we can follow her example. Even though Mary experienced the pain of seeing her beloved son crucified, she never lost faith.
A devotion to Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, first began to grow in popularity in the Mediterranean around the 11th century. In 1692, Pope Innocent XII authorized a celebration of the feast on the third Sunday of September. It was later transferred to the Friday before Palm Sunday. However, in 1814, Pope Pius VII moved the feast back to September, while extending it to the entire Church. A century later, Pope Pius X fixed the date as September 15.
