St. Mary Magdalene

Our July celebration of Hall of Fame of Saints continues today with the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene.  St. Mary Magdalene holds a special place both in Christian and world history. According to three of the four Gospels, she was the first eyewitness to the most important historical event in the history of the world; the Risen Christ first appeared to her.  Mary Magdalene then spread this news to the eleven apostles and other disciples of Jesus and is known as the “Apostle to the Apostles”.

While accurate historical information on Mary Magdalene is limited, we do know that she was a close disciple of Jesus.  In his apostolic letter Mulieris Dignitatem from August 1988, Blessed John Paul II praised Mary Magdalene’s special role as being the first witness to the Resurrection:

The women are the first at the tomb. They are the first to find it empty. They are…