The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Assumption celebrates the truth that the Virgin Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory. Christians have believed this since ancient times. In the East the feast of the Dormition, or Falling Asleep, of the Mother of God was celebrated by the sixth century, and the Emperor Maurice fixed it on August 15. Rome adopted it in the seventh century, and it became one of the great Marian feasts of the year.

On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII solemnly defined the Assumption as a dogma of faith in the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus, without deciding whether Mary died before being taken up. Because she was preserved from sin and was the Mother of God, her body did not see the corruption of the grave. Mary in heaven is a sign of hope for all believers: where she has gone, the Church hopes one day to follow.

In the United States it is usually a holy day of obligation. In Italy, Ferragosto is a national holiday with processions and festivals, and in Elche, Spain, the medieval Misteri d'Elx, a sung drama of Mary's death and Assumption, is performed in the basilica.

The Assumption is patroness of Asunción, capital of Paraguay, and Guatemala City celebrates its Virgen de la Asunción with fairs and processions. In many places herbs and flowers are blessed on this day.