For hundreds of years, Catholics observed the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary on August 15th celebrating Mary’s being taken to Heaven after her death. The Feast of the Assumption was declared dogma, one of the essential beliefs of our faith.

In New Zealand, our Church has been dedicated to Mary assumed into heaven. The Feast of the Assumption is therefore our Pastoral Feast Day and a Holy Day of Obligation.

Pope Francis urges us to remember this: 

Mary our Mother does not need a flood of words. She does not need us to tell her what is happening in our lives. All we need do is whisper, time and time again : “Hail Mary…”

On the Feast day of the Assumption, we honoured Mary the mother of God at our school assembly, and we had a large number of students and staff gathered at lunchtime to say the Rosary in the school chapel.