September 8 is the Catholic Church's traditional birthday observation for Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ. The roots of this feast day go deep into the misty nebula of early Church history. As is often the case in the Church's early years, there is not an overabundance of documentation. Yet the calendar reference has endured to this day.
For American Catholics, it is worth pausing to note her birthday in this vitally important year for our country. Mary, as the Immaculate Conception, is patron saint of the U.S.A.
I visited the Washington D.C. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception as a pre-teen and vividly remember the sense of awe and wonder I felt looking up at the massive mosaic, Christ in Majesty. It's worth the time to visit this beautiful building next time you are in our nation's capital.
