Xaghra Parish » Gallery » 2008 » 05 AUG 08 S MARIA MAGGIORE AND XAGHRA PARISH
Solemnity of the Dedication of St. Mary Major;s Basilica 5th August The Basilica of St. Mary Major is an ancient Catholic basilica of Rome. It is one of the four major or four papal basilicas, which, together with St. Lawrence outside the Walls, were formerly referred to as the five "patriarchal basilicas" of Rome, associated with the five ancient patriarchal sees of Christendom. The other three papal or major basilicas are St. John Lateran, St. Peter and St. Paul outside the Walls. The Liberian Basilica (another title for the church) is one of the tituli, presided over by a patron - in this case Pope Liberius - that housed the major congregations of early Christians in Rome. Santa Maria Maggiore is the only Roman basilica that retained the core of its original structure, left intact despite several additional construction projects and damage from the earthquake of 1348. The name of the church reflects two ideas of greatness ("major"), that of a major (or papal) basilica and that of the largest (major) church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. After the Avignon papacy formally ended and the Papacy returned to Rome, the Basilica became a temporary Palace of the Popes due to the deteriorated state of the Lateran Palace. The papal residence was later moved to the Palace of the Vatican in what is now Vatican City. Pope Liberius commissioned the construction of the Liberian Basilica, circa 360. According to the founding legend, which cannot be traced farther back than the thirteenth century, he wanted a shrine built at the site where an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary manifested herself in identical dreams shared by a local patrician and his wife and by the pope. According to tradition, the outline of the church was physically laid out on the ground of the noble's property by Liberius himself under a miraculous but predicted snowfall that took place on the night August 4-5 352. The legendary Miracle of the Snow was depicted by Masaccio and Masolino about 1423 in a triptych commissioned by a member of the Colonna family for the Basilica, now conserved in the Museo di Capodimonte, Naples. In it the miracle is witnessed by a crowd of holy men and women and observed from above by Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Snows, local Roman Catholics commemorate the miracle on each anniversary by dropping white rose petals from the dome during the feast mass. The Collegiate Basilica of Maria Bambina (in Xaghra) was solemnly aggregated to this major Basilica in Roma during the Pontifical High Mass on 8th September, 2004. The decree of spiritual affiliation was solemnly announced by Mgr. Archpriest Eucharist Sultana, Apostolic Protonotary. This decree obliges our Collegiate to celebrate with solemnity the memorial of the Dedication of St. Mary Major Basilica on 5th August. Those who visit our Basilica from 4th August noon and during the whole day of 5th August will have the opportunity to acquire several indulgences according to special conditions. On Monday, 4th August, from noon onwards, the masses said at the Basilica will be of the Solemnity. At 6.30pm, Solemn Vespers will be sung. On Tuesday 5th August, at 6.30pm, Solemn Vespers will again be sung followed by a Solemn Concelebrated Mass with the participation of the Reverend Chapter and Clergy of our Parish.
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