St. Mary Major

One of the four major basilicas in Rome, St. Mary Major is the oldest church dedicated to Mary and the oldest site of pilgrimage in her honor.  Today we celebrate the dedication of the basilica in 435 by Pope Sixtus III, in honor of the title of Theotokos, (Mother of God) declared by the Council of Ephesus in 432....
The original structure was an existing large home...palace, basilica...renovated into a church by Pope Liberius in the 3rd century.
Legend has it that Mary appeared in a dream to a man named John asking that a church be built in her honor.  The location of the church was to be marked by snow.  John reported the dream to the Pope, who also had the same dream.  They went to the hill, and sure enough, it was covered with snow.  The Pope marked out the dimensions of the church in the snow, giving Mary the title, "Our Lady of the Snow."  St. Mary Major is also known today as Maria ad Nives,' "Mary of the Snow."
Today's memorial is one of three Marial feasts in August, the Assumption on the 15th and the Queenship on the 22nd, reminders again of Mary's prominent place in our faith and our need to ask her to "pray for us now and at the hour of our death."
Bro. Rene