By Catholic Review Staff
The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God will be celebrated throughout the archdiocese Jan. 1. A holy day of obligation, Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on the feast day or its vigil.
The oldest major feast honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary, the solemnity recognizes the motherhood of Mary. The celebration dates to the fifth century following the Council of Ephesus, which declared that as the mother of Christ, Mary was the “Theotokos” or “God-bearer.” The declaration was in response to a heresy promoted by Bishop Nestorius of Constantinople who maintained that the human Christ and the divine Son of God were separate entities.
Jan. 1 is also the World Day of Peace.