Watch “The Miracle of the Snow” at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Honor of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome
In celebration of a 4th-century Marian miracle, it is customary for white rose petals to fall from the ceiling of the Basilica of St. Mary Major on Aug. 5, which is the feast day of the Dedication of the Basilica in Rome.
The miracle occurred after the Virgin Mary appeared to a nobleman and Pope Liberius in dreams, which foretold of an August snowfall, a sign to inform them that she wanted a church built in her honor on the Esquiline Hill in Rome. When the snow fell on Aug. 5, 358 – it’s referred to as “the Miracle of the Snow” – plans for the church known as the Basilica of Saint Mary Major were put into place.
To read more about this miracle, click here
To honor the feast day, at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Alexandria, VA, Father Edward Hathaway, the Basilica’s Rector, arranged for 2,000 white silk petals to fall from the ceiling of the church at the end of the 12:10 p.m. Mass today, Aug. 5. To watch as the petals fell from the Basilica’s ceiling, click on the video below: