Introduction

Glory be to Jesus Christ,

In our Byzantine rite we celebrate Marian Feast days honouring our Holy Mother, our Patroness – Theotokos. These festivals occupy first place, after the feasts of our Lord. The chief aim of the Marian feasts is to bring to us the majesty, dignity and the holiness of the Most Pure Virgin Mary, and her role in the redemption of the human race, so that we may be inspired to venerate and imitate her.

The Marian feast days are as follows:

  • Sept 8 – Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • Oct 1 – Protection of the Mother of God
  • Nov 21 – Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple
  • March 25 – Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God
  • Aug 15 – Dormition of the Mother of God

To our members, we hope this booklet will educate you about our Byzantine rite and bring you closer to the Mother of God. Feel free to work through the Marian feasts in any order you wish, but we do hope you journey with us. Throughout this journey, we will encounter many different titles for Mary. Perhaps you would like to keep track of them in your journal, just to see how many you encounter.

Enjoy your journey, renewing your acquaintance with our Holy Mother, a real mother, like all our mothers.

Yours in Christ,

Your UCWLC National Spiritual Committee