Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
September 8
The first prophecy referring to Mary is found in the very opening chapters of the Book of Genesis (3:15). On September 8, Catholics celebrate the birth of Mary.
Saint Anne or Anna is known by tradition as the mother of The Virgin Mary. According to the non-canonical Gospel of James, Anna and her husband Joachim, after years of childlessness, were visited by an angel who told them that they would conceive a child. Anna promised to dedicate the child to God's service. Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ. The Church has celebrated Mary's birth since at least the sixth century.
The birth of Mary was miraculous. She was conceived without sin as a special grace because God had selected her to become the mother of His Son. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, though generally believed throughout the Church for many centuries, was formally declared by Pope Pius IX in 1854.
