St. Mary Catholic Church Solon, Iowa
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Mary & the Saints

Prayer & Faith Resources

      
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Mary & the Saints

Our Role Models in Faith

Picture
by: Duccio di Buoninsegna (ca 1255-1319) Sienna Cathedral
Catholics worship the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. 
They honor the Virgin Mary         and the Saints.


As the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary has a unique position among the saints, indeed, among all creatures. She is exalted, yet still one of us.

 The Church honors her as the Mother of God, looks to her as a model of perfect discipleship and asks for her prayers to God on our behalf.  Mary embraces God's will and freely chooses to cooperate with God's grace, thereby fulfilling a crucial role in God's plan of salvation. Throughout the centuries, the Church has turned to the Blessed Virgin in order to come closer to Christ. 

There are marvelous devotional practices whereby honor and veneration is paid by Catholics to our Mother Mary and our elder brothers and sisters, the Catholic saints.  But the greatest honor we can given them is to study and ultimately imitate their inspiring example.  Many of the saints of the Catholic Church have left us writings that can mark out the way to holiness and urge us on as we travel that difficult road.
                                                                                                                              -Popular Devotional Practices, USCCB


Mary, the Mother of God

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“Behold, your mother,”  Jesus tells his disciple from the cross  (John 19:27) is a message of Jesus to each member of his Church: Behold your mother, the one who brings God’s life to you.


My Dearest Mother, give me your heart so beautiful,
so immaculate, so full of love and humility,
that I may receive Jesus as you did
and go in haste to give him to others.
        -Mother Theresa

Everything about Mary, everything that makes her and her place in God's plan different from ours, is only because of God's grace to her. Mary is entirely a
product of God's tender, loving grace. After all, isn't this what we are saying
when we pray the words of the Angel Gabriel in Luke's gospel, "Hail Mary, full of grace"?
                            -Jim Akin    The Key to Understanding Mary


LEARN MORE about what the Church teaches and believes about Mary, the Mother of God:
Learning about Mary
Marian Apparitions
Prayers to Mary
Mary, the Mother of God

Our Lady of Guadalupe  
Mother of the Americas,  December 12

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The appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Aztec Indian Juan Diego in December of 1531 generated the conversion of Mexico, Central and South America to Catholicism.

Read more about Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mary appeared not as a European Madonna but
as a mixture of Aztec and Spaniard—a sign she was a mother for all. If we want to help others
appreciate the Gospel we bring, we must be aware of  their life's circumstances and the culture in which they live their life. By understanding them, we can help them to understand and know Christ.

The Immaculate Conception
Patroness of the United States, December 8

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In 1858, Mary appeared in Lourdes, France, to a girl named Bernadette. On March 25th, she asked, “Would you be so kind as to tell me who you are?"
The answer finally came:
"I am the Immaculate Conception."


The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception
states that, “The Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin.” Original sin was not removed from her soul as happens with baptism, but, in fact, was never even present there to be removed.

The Communion of Saints

We believe in the Communion of Saints

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we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
LEARN MORE about the Communion of Saints
The Communion of Saints in the
Catechism of the Catholic Church

Being in communion is the heart of Catholicism. We become one body in Christ at Baptism and we continue sharing that common life forever, beyond death. We are aware of this connectedness with one another every time we say in the creed:
"I believe in the communion of saints."    

This interconnectedness is a dogma that has
been observed and loved by the Church through the centuries. It brings us all together as one family. It includes not only canonized saints but also all those
who have died. It keeps us connected to our beloved dead. We pray for them for whatever obligations they left unfinished and we ask them to pray for us. We
pray for each other.  
More from Catholic Update

Praying with the Saints

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As people gather in the Los Angeles Cathedral, they are surrounded by large tapestries of  Saints, females and males of all ages, races, occupations and vocations the world over, from the 1st century to the 20th century.


St. Paul teaches that, as Christians, we are one body in Christ.   He taught that all members are needed and are to help one another.  Belonging to the Body of Christ and the need to help one another does not end at our death.   As these passages show, the early Church Fathers clearly recognized the Biblical teaching that those in Heaven can and do intercede for us.

"Will you pray for me?" we ask of family and friends.  Praying with the Saints is the same.  We all pray to Jesus, but with each other.  As we pray, we are drawn closer to Jesus and to each other, becoming one in heart and mind. 

Learn More...

What is a Saint?

Popular
Saints
Saint
 of the Day
Saints by Name
Patron Saints

FAQ about Saints
More FAQ about Saints

Prayers related to the Saints
Praying with the Saints

And I ask the Blessed Virgin Mary,  all the angels and saints, and to you my brothers and sisters
to pray for me to the Lord our God.

We All Serve One Lord

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Augustine, in the 4th century, speaking at the celebration of the feast of Perpetua and Felicity, declared: " Let it not seem a small thing to us that we are members of the same body as these. We marvel with them and they have compassion on us. We rejoice with them, they pray for us. We all serve one Lord, follow one master, and attend one king. We are joined to one head, journey to one Jerusalem, follow after one love, and embrace one unity."



The incorruptible bodies of the Saints

The incorruptibility of the Saints is a miraculous phenomenon whereby the human body is not subjected to the natural process of decomposition after death, and is suspended from decay either temporarily or permanently through the Divine Will of God. This condition is not dependent upon the manner of burial, the temperature and place of burial or entombment, or any other external influence including embalmment or other preservation methods. There are currently several hundred documented cases of incorruptible persons in the Catholic church, many of which (but certainly not all) are canonized Saints or Blesseds.
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  • Home
  • Contribute Online
  • Weekly Bulletin
  • About Us
    • History
    • Tour of Church & Parish Hall
    • Our Pastor
    • Staff
    • Pastoral Council
    • Mission Statement
    • Harvest Festival
  • New Members
  • Parish Ministries
    • Culture of Life >
      • Culture of Life Events
    • Church Life
    • Stewardship
    • Faith Formation >
      • K-6th Grade
      • First Communion & Reconciliation
      • 7th Grade
      • 8th & 9TH Grade Confirmation
      • High School | Youth Group
      • Adult Faith Formation
      • Vacation Bible School
    • Family Life
    • Parish Nurse Ministries
    • Social Action
    • Finance Council
    • Worship & Spirituality
    • Helping Hands
    • Knights of Columbus
    • Order of Forestors
  • Prayer & Sacraments
    • Sacraments >
      • First Communion
    • Mass Ministries & Schedule
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  • Marriage & Family
    • Marriage
    • Troubled Marriages and Divorced
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  • Links
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