The Immaculate Conception (Feast)

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8 and commemorates the dogma that from the first moment of her conception, Mary was preserved from Original Sin by a singular grace of God in view of the merits of Jesus Christ. It is a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States and many other countries (CCC 491).

The Dogma

The Immaculate Conception was formally defined as a dogma by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854, in the apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus. The definition states that "the most Blessed Virgin Mary, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, was preserved immune from all stain of original sin."

Distinguished from the Virgin Birth

The Immaculate Conception refers to Mary's own conception in the womb of her mother — not to the virginal conception of Jesus. These are two entirely different mysteries. The Immaculate Conception concerns Mary; the Virgin Birth concerns Jesus (CCC 491).

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened at Lourdes? In 1858, four years after the dogmatic definition, the Virgin Mary appeared to 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France — eighteen times in all. When Bernadette asked her name, she replied: "I am the Immaculate Conception." The Church has approved these apparitions as worthy of belief (CCC 67).

Is December 8 always a Holy Day of Obligation? In the United States, yes — December 8 is always a Holy Day of Obligation regardless of what day of the week it falls on. In some other countries, the obligation may be transferred if the feast falls on a Sunday or adjacent day (CCC 2043).