Solemnity of Blessed Mary, Ever Virgin - July 2nd, 2014

Celebration of the Solemnity of Holy Mary, Ever Virgin, for the first time in the history of the Church on July 2nd, 2014.

On December 18th, 2013 the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments granted to the Home of the Mother (approved as a Public International Association of Faithful and whose second mission is the Defense of the Honor of our Mother, especially in the privilege of her Virginity) the great gift of being able to celebrate this solemnity.

Solemnidad de Santa María Siempre Virgen

On the afternoon of July 1st at 7:30 pm, a vigil took place as a preparation for this great celebration in the church of Saint John del Hospital which is located in the center of Valencia (Spain). We would especially like to thank Opus Dei for their hospitality and generosity in letting us use their church for the celebration.

Fr. Rafael Alonso Reymundo, the founder of the Home of the Mother, presided the vigil which began with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and was followed by the first vespers of the Solemnity, brief points of meditation, silence, songs and vocal prayers with texts from the Church Fathers and the magisterium of the Church about the perpetual Virginity of Holy Mary.

The next day on July 2nd at 11:30 in the morning, we celebrated mass in the same church. The church was overflowing. The pews were full and many people were left standing. It's calculated that there was around 300 people in total. The mass included the taking of vows of 13 novices and the renovation of vows of 17 professed Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother. Two novices of the Servant Brothers of the Home of the Mother also made their first vows and 5 other brothers renewed their vows as well.

Solemnidad de Santa María Siempre VirgenIn his homily, Fr. Rafael exhorted us all, but in a particular way to the Servant Brothers and Sisters who were going to be making their vows, to imitate Holy Mary, Ever Virgin, in her complete generosity and abandonment to God. He cited Saint John Paul II, who encouraged the youth in a general audience on August 7th, 1996, to imitate Mary in her virginity. "How many young women in the history of the church, have contemplated the beauty of Mary´s virginal heart and have felt encouraged to generously respond to God's call, embracing the ideal of virginity! This virginity, which follows the example of the Virgin from Nazareth, is a source of a special spiritual fecundity: it is a source of a maternity in the Holy Spirit."

Solemnidad de Santa María Siempre VirgenAfter the celebration we went to eat lunch in the Monastery of Belen, in Torrent (Valencia), where a community of Servant Sisters live. After lunch we had a meeting where we were all able to share our experiences from the day.

We give thanks to Jesus Christ, the son of Holy Mary, Ever Virgin, for having allowed us to celebrate this solemnity.

If there is a priest that would like to celebrate this mass as a votive mass of Our Lady the liturgical texts approved by the Congregation of Divine Worship can be requested by writing to the same email address. We hope that one day this great solemnity will be celebrated all throughout the Church.