Feast day: 22 July
Saint Mary Magdalene
Sancta Maria Magdalena
The disciple freed from seven demons who stood at the Cross and was the first witness of the Resurrection, sent by Christ to announce it to the apostles.
Raised from memorial to feast by Pope Francis in 2016.
- Born
- 1st century, Magdala on the Sea of Galilee
- Died
- 1st century
- Canonization
- Venerated as a saint from the earliest centuries of the Church.
- Country
- Holy Land
Biography
Called and healed
Luke 8:2 records that Jesus cast seven demons out of Mary called Magdalene, from the fishing town of Magdala. She then followed him with other women who supported the mission from their own resources.
At the Cross and the tomb
All four Gospels place her at Calvary and at the burial. On Easter morning she came to the tomb while it was still dark, found it empty, and after the disciples departed remained weeping until the risen Christ called her by name. He sent her to the apostles with the message of his Resurrection — the reason Saint Thomas Aquinas and the medieval tradition call her 'apostle to the apostles'.
Veneration
The Eastern tradition holds that she went to Ephesus with the Virgin Mary; a later Western legend places her in Provence. In 1969 the Roman calendar distinguished her from the sinful woman of Luke 7 and from Mary of Bethany, restoring her proper identity as the Easter witness.
Timeline
- ~c. AD 28 — Healed by Jesus and joins the disciples
- ~c. AD 30 — Stands at the Crucifixion
- ~c. AD 30 — First witness of the Resurrection
- 2016 — Her memorial raised to a feast by Pope Francis
Dates marked ~ are traditional or debated among historians.
Symbols
Jar of ointment — The spices she carried to anoint the body of Jesus.
Long unbound hair — Traditional artistic sign of penance and love.
Easter egg — Eastern iconography of her proclaiming the Resurrection.
Virtues & spiritual lessons
Faithful love that stays at the Cross, perseverance in seeking Christ, and prompt obedience in announcing him. She teaches that Christ calls each person by name.
Importance in the Church
Her testimony is the foundation of the Easter proclamation and the Church's constant witness that the Resurrection is a historical encounter, not an idea.
Quotes
“I have seen the Lord.”
John 20:18
Prayers
Collect of the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
O God, whose Only Begotten Son entrusted Mary Magdalene before all others with announcing the great joy of the Resurrection, grant, we pray, that through her intercession and example we may proclaim the living Christ and come to see him reigning in your glory. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Roman Missal, 22 July.
Places
Magdala, Sea of Galilee — Her home town, excavated with a 1st-century synagogue.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem — Site of the empty tomb where she met the risen Lord.
Scripture
John 20:1–18 — The encounter with the risen Christ in the garden.
Related saints
Entries are drawn from the Roman Martyrology, the General Roman Calendar, canonization records of the Holy See, and the saints' own writings. Where a date, quotation or attribution is uncertain, it is marked as such. (63 saints)