Dedication of Basilica of St. Mary Major

The Basilica of St. Mary Major was constructed immediately after the Council of Ephesus in 431 approved the title Mary Mother of God. The Basilica was consecrated on August 5, 434 by Pope Sixtus III and thus it is one of the oldest surviving Marian churches. The Basilica was significant after the Council because it symbolized the Church’s unified position on Mary against dissenting heresies. Through many natural disasters and wars, the Basilica has remained in its original place with much of the original structure still standing. Some legends also associate the Basilica with Our Lady of the Snows, but the Church distanced this association because of a lack of factual evidence.

Pilgrimage Site in the United States

• National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows — Belleville, IL