Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary commemorates the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken body and soul into heavenly glory at the end of her earthly life. This event expresses Mary's special role and closeness to her Son as the first to share in the fullness of His Resurrection. The Assumption is a dogma in the Catholic Church, solemnly declared by Pope Pius XII in 1950.