marian anniversaries september
September 1
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Though named for King Charles I's Queen, Henrietta Maria, and not for St. Mary, the state of Maryland, founded by English Catholics seeking freedom to practice and spread their faith, is home to several early sites important to the history of Catholicism and Marian devotion in the U.S. Seat of the first Catholic diocese in the United States, Baltimore's first cathedral was built under the guidance of Bishop John Carroll, President Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Latrobe, Architect of the Capitol, and named for the feast day on which Carroll became a bishop in 1790. Its cornerstone was laid July 7, 1806, though the magnificent neoclassical structure was not dedicated until two major wars and 70 years later. On September 1, 1937, Pope Pius XI gave the Cathedral of the Assumption the rank of minor basilica. When a new Baltimore cathedral was dedicated to Mary Our Queen in 1959, the Basilica became Co-Cathedral. Closed for extensive renovation in 2004, it reopened in new splendor in 2006. Bill Mensching of Evergreene Studios designed the new mural of the Assumption over the main altar (photo from http://www.cardinalseansblog.org). See the Basilica's site: www.baltimorebasilica.org.
Also celebrated this date:
 | Notre-Dame de la Seds, Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence, France. Vow during 1630 plague. |
| Mother of God of Miasenes, Malatya, Eastern Anatolia, Turkey (Melkite Greek & Ukrainian Catholic Churches) |
| Madonna del Portone, Asti, Asti, Piedmont, Italy. New sanctuary consecrated, 1912; feast Dec. 8. |
| Madonna della Rosa, Ostra, Ancona, Marche, Italy. Painting crowned, 1726. |
| Maria Santissima delle Grazie, Minturno, Latina, Latium, Italy. Festa. |
| Madonna delle Grazie, Monteodorisio, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy. Sanctuary dedicated, 1895. Festa 1st Sun. Sept. |
| Virgen de los Remedios, Comonfort, Guanajuato, Mexico. Town patron. First of two annual fiestas in her honor, the bigger one falling in late November. |
| Virgen de los Remedios, Victoria, Guanajuato, Mexico, Cerro Grande district. Pilgrimage and fiesta, preceded by novena. |
| Virgen de los Remedios, Zitácuaro, Michoacán, Mexico. Fiesta; processions, music, dances, fireworks. |
| Nossa Senhora dos Mártires e da Conceição, Sacavém, Loures, Portugal. Clarissan convent founded, 1577. |
| Don Icon of the Mother of God, Moscow, Russia (August 19 Julian) |
| Virgen de las Cruces, Daimiel, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. Town's patronal fiesta commemorates end of 1885 cholera with floral carpet, mass, procession. |
| Virgen del Castillo, Agres, Comtat, Alicante, Valencia, Spain. Shepherd found statue, 1484. Fiesta del Pastoret first Saturday in September. |
| Madonna del Sasso, Orselina, Ticino, Switzerland |