MARIAN_TITLE
Our Lady of the Snows (Dedication of Saint Mary Major)
A title of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary venerated under the title commemorated by the dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, the greatest of her churches in the West.
origin
Tradition holds that in the fourth century the Blessed Virgin indicated the site of her basilica on the Esquiline Hill in Rome by a miraculous summer snowfall; the dedication of Saint Mary Major is kept on August 5.
theological Significance
Under this title Mary is honored in the first great church of the West dedicated to her, a sign of her unique place in the mystery of the Incarnation and the life of the Church.
feast Day
08-05