The Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Immaculate Heart of Mary is a title and devotion honoring the interior life of the Virgin Mary — her perfect love for God and neighbor, her sorrow at sin, her compassion for sinners, and her maternal love for all her spiritual children. It is the counterpart to the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (CCC 2673).

Biblical Foundation

The devotion to Mary's heart is rooted in Luke's Gospel, which twice notes that Mary "kept all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Luke 2:19, 51). At the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, Simeon prophesied that "a sword will pierce through your own soul also" (Luke 2:35) — pointing to Mary's participation in the Passion of her Son.

The Fatima Connection

The devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was specifically requested at Fatima (1917), where Our Lady asked for consecration to her Immaculate Heart and the practice of the First Saturday devotions. Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1942. Pope John Paul II repeated this consecration in 1984.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is devotion to Mary's Heart the same as worshipping Mary? No. Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a form of hyperdulia — the special honor given to Mary above all other creatures — not worship (latria), which belongs to God alone. The heart symbolizes the interior life of Mary, not a physical organ to be adored (CCC 2673).