Blessed Virgin Mary

The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, is the most venerated figure in Catholic tradition after her Son, Jesus Christ. Betrothed to Saint Joseph, she was chosen by God to bear the Incarnate Word through the power of the Holy Spirit. Her "fiat" — "Let it be done to me according to your word" — at the Annunciation stands as the supreme act of faith and obedience in salvation history. She accompanied Jesus from Bethlehem to Calvary, stood at the foot of the Cross, and was present with the Apostles at Pentecost. Catholic dogma proclaims her Immaculate Conception, perpetual virginity, divine motherhood, and bodily Assumption into heaven. She is honored under countless titles worldwide and is patroness of all humanity.