Dedication of St. Mary Major || Friday, August 5, 2022

The feast day of Our Lady of the Snows is also the day of the dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, which was first built to honor Mary after a miraculous August snowfall on that spot. The famous icon of the Virgin Mary that can be seen there--Salus Populi Romani (the salvation of the Roman people)--is said to have been painted by Saint Luke. It is perhaps the best loved and most honored Marian icon in Rome.