Mary, Mother of God

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Martin15

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Hi all

I’ve a question that I’ve not been able to find a good answer to online, but I think there might be a very straight forward solution:

At what point did we (Catholics) begin referring to Mary as ‘the Blessed Virgin Mary’? I ask as I know of numerous Churches and Institutions which are called St Mary’s, and are clearly dedicated to Mary, the Mother of our Lord. Presumably these predate the change in language, but why have they not changed their names to ‘Our Lady’s’, as newer Churches would be named?

All the best

Martin
 
Uh, I don’t understand your question. There hasn’t been any change.
 
Luke 1:48…because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed,
 
Hi Martin, 🙂
Interesting thought.
It may be helpful to look at the meaning of the designation "saint’ which also means “holy”, so for us to call a church St Mary’s is actually to use a phrase that we use in the “Hail Mary”, that of “Holy Mary”. It is also therefore a beautiful name for a church, proclaiming the holiness of the Mother of our Savior.

thinkexist.com/dictionary/meaning/saint/
(n.) A person sanctified; a holy or godly person; one eminent for piety and virtue; any true Christian, as being redeemed and consecrated to God.
(n.) One canonized by the church.
(v. t.) To make a saint of; to enroll among the saints by an offical act, as of the pope; to canonize; to give the title or reputation of a saint to (some one).
(v. i.) To act or live as a saint.
(n.) One of the blessed in heaven.
 
Martin, regarding your question as to when Mary was first called the blessed Virgin Mary,
I have found a reference to St Augustine mention of her as 'holy Virgin Mary" and holy and blessed can reasonably be interchanged. The English words are a translation, in any case.
Cyril of Alexandria called her the Blessed Virgin
It is claimed that there is a 3rd Century Prayer, mentioning Mary under the title “blessed Virgin Mary” worksbyfaith.org/the-most-blessed-virgin-mary/
Code: 
We fly to thy patronage O Holy Mother of God, despise not our prayers in our necessities, but ever deliver us from all dangers, O Glorious and Blessed Virgin. Amen. (AD250)
Augustine

“Having excepted the** holy Virgin Mary**, concerning whom, on account of the honour of the Lord, I wish to have absolutely no question when treating of sins—for how do we know what abundance of grace for the total overcoming of sin was conferred upon her, who merited to conceive and bear him in whom there was no sin. (Nature and Grace 36:42 [A.D. 415]).

Cyril of Alexandria

“[T]he Word himself, coming into the Blessed Virgin herself, assumed for himself his own temple from the substance of the Virgin and came forth from her a man in all that could be externally discerned, while interiorly he was true God. Therefore he kept his Mother a virgin even after her childbearing” [A.D. 430]).
 
Martin15 said:
Hi all

I’ve a question that I’ve not been able to find a good answer to online, but I think there might be a very straight forward solution:

At what point did we (Catholics) begin referring to Mary as ‘the Blessed Virgin Mary’? I ask as I know of numerous Churches and Institutions which are called St Mary’s, and are clearly dedicated to Mary, the Mother of our Lord. Presumably these predate the change in language, but why have they not changed their names to ‘Our Lady’s’, as newer Churches would be named?

All the best

Martin
Click to expand...
I think Saint Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist may have been the first to proclaim such. “Blessed art thou among women, and Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus”

Then of course Our Lady herself said “from henceforth, all generations shall call me Blessed”

littlechicken
 
**Luk 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin’s name was Mary.

Luk 1:28 And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
**
 
“Blessed Virgin Mary”, “St. Mary”, “Our Lady”, are all names which date from the Early Church and very much predate the English language.
 
Thanks for all the replies.

I had it in my head that officially (in the sense of ‘by the Church’) Mary was recognised as being ‘more’ than a Saint very early on; within a few centuries.

I’ll be more specific about one example, as it may be connected with the resurgance of Catholicism in England: The seminary for the Archdiocese of Birmingham is called ‘St Mary’s’; to my knowledge it was built in the 19th Century (by Pugin). The chapel (and various other features) clearly show that the Mary being referred to is Jesus’ mother, in the ‘Queen of Heaven’ aspect. What I am curious about is why it got the name Saint Mary’s, when every Parish in the Archdiocese is called ‘Our Lady’s…’.

I completely take the point about Saint meaning holy, so that may be it, but it doesn’t explain why other churches, parishes and so on took a different name (albeit it later).

Maybe it is a perculiarity of the seminary, maybe it is down to English theology at the time; I will ask when I am next there and see if I can get an answer.

All the best, and thanks again.

Martin
 
I think you are WAY overthinking this, like there is some actual reason. I doubt it.

My parish is 150 years old, it is Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It has always just been called “St. Mary’s”. Why? Because when people ask you what church you go to it is a mouthful to say “natitivy of the blessed virgin mary parish” so people just say St Mary’s.
 
Perhaps I am 1ke 🙂

Whereabouts are you from out of interest?

In Birmingham (and I think most of the UK), your parish’s name would probably be shortened to ‘Our Lady’s’.

All the best

Martin
 
Martin15 said:
Perhaps I am 1ke 🙂

Whereabouts are you from out of interest?

In Birmingham (and I think most of the UK), your parish’s name would probably be shortened to ‘Our Lady’s’.

All the best

Martin
Click to expand...
I am in the US, in the Midwest, but I would say that calling a parish St Mary’s for short is common all over the US.
 
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