This feast, the Holy Father said, «invites us to turn our gaze to her whom the Father chose as Mother of his only-begotten Son and, because of this, Mother of all of humanity. We ask her to help us remain united to her Son, Jesus, always: now and at the hour of our death.»
«Mary, Mother of God!» the Pope told pilgrims gathered outside the papal summer residence. «This is how Rome venerates her today, celebrating the dedication of the patriarchal Basilica of St. Mary Major, the oldest church in the West named after the Blessed Virgin Mary.»
The building of the church is connected to a dream of Pope Liberius on the night of Aug. 5, 356. In the dream, the Blessed Virgin asked him to build a church in the place where he would find snow the following day.
The miracle happened in the month of August in Rome, on the very spot where the basilica stands today. The present building, atop the foundations of Pope Liberius´ church, was built by Pope Sixtus III (432-440).
