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Our Lady of Sorrows

Our Lady of Sorrows (Latin: Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), Our Lady of
Our Lady of Sorrows
Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (Latin: Mater
Dolorosa), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or
Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which Mary, mother of
Jesus, is referred to in relation to sorrows in life. As Mater Dolorosa, it is also
a key subject for Marian art in the Catholic Church.

The Seven Sorrows of Mary are a popular religious theme and a Roman
Catholic devotion. In Christian imagery, the Virgin Mary is portrayed
sorrowful and in tears, with one or seven long knives (daggers) piercing her.
Devotional prayers that consist of meditation began to elaborate on her Seven
Sorrows based on the prophecy of Simeon. Common examples of piety under
this title are the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows, the Seven Joys of Mary, and
more recently, Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is liturgically celebrated every 15

September, while a feast, the Friday of Sorrows is observed in some Catholic
countries.
Seven Swords Piercing the
Sorrowful Heart of Mary in the
Church of the Holy Cross,
Contents Salamanca, Spain

Seven Sorrows of Mary Venerated in Roman Catholic

Church
Devotions to the Seven Sorrows
Western Christianity Feast 15 September

Eastern Christianity Friday before Good

Friday
Liturgical feast
Our Lady of Compassion Attributes Blessed Virgin Mary
The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary in mournful state,
tears, bleeding heart
Iconography
pierced by seven
Patronage daggers
Gallery Patronage Slovakia · Hungary ·
See also Poland · Capas,
References Tarlac · Malta ·
Mississippi · Ronda,
Further reading
Cebu · Tanauan,
External links Batangas · Bustos,
Bulacan · Dolores,
Quezon · Pakil,
Seven Sorrows of Mary Laguna

The Seven Sorrows (or Dolors) are events in the life of Mary that are a popular devotion and are frequently
depicted in art.[1]

These Seven Sorrows should not be confused with the five Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.

Traditionally, the Seven Sorrows are:

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1. The Prophecy of Simeon as found in Luke 2;

2. The Flight into Egypt from Matthew 2;
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, also in Luke 2;
4. Mary's meeting Jesus on the Via Dolorosa, the Fourth station of the Cross;
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus on Mount Calvary
6. Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross.
7. The Burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea[2]

Devotions to the Seven Sorrows

Western Christianity

Earlier, in 1232, seven youths in Tuscany founded the Servite Order (also
known as the "Servite Friars", or the "Order of the Servants of Mary"). Five
years later, they took up the sorrows of Mary, standing under the Cross, as the
principal devotion of their order.[3]

Over the centuries several devotions, and even orders, arose around
meditation on Mary's Sorrows in particular. The Servites developed the three
most common devotions to Our Lady's Sorrows, namely the Rosary of the
Seven Sorrows, the Black Scapular of the Seven Dolours of Mary and the
Novena to Our Sorrowful Mother. The rosary consists of a chaplet of seven
septets of beads (upon which is said an Ave), separated by one bead (on which
Mary surrounded by the Seven
is prayed a Pater Noster. Meditations for each dolor were composed by Pope
Sorrows Pius VII in 1818.

The Black Scapular is a symbol of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows,

which is associated with the Servite Order.[4] Most devotional scapulars have requirements regarding
ornamentation or design. The devotion of the Black Scapular requires only that it be made of black woollen
cloth.[5] From the National Shrine of Saint Peregrine spread the Sorrowful Mother Novena, the core of which is
the Via Matris.[6][7]

Eastern Christianity

On February 2, the same day as the Great Feast of the Meeting of the Lord,
Orthodox Christians and Eastern Catholics commemorate a wonder-working
icon of the Theotokos (Mother of God) known as "the Softening of Evil
Hearts" or "Simeon's Prophecy".[8][9]

It depicts Mary at the moment that Simeon the Righteous says, "Yea, a sword
shall pierce through thy own soul also...." (Luke 2:35). She stands with her
hands upraised in prayer, and seven swords pierce her heart, indicative of the
seven sorrows.[8] This is one of the few Orthodox icons of the Theotokos
which do not depict the infant Jesus. The refrain "Rejoice, much-sorrowing
Mother of God, turn our sorrows into joy and soften the hearts of evil men!" is
also used.[9]

Liturgical feast Our Lady who softens evil hearts,

Russian icon, 19th century

Our Lady of Compassion

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The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows grew in popularity in the 12th century, although under various titles. Some
writings would place its roots in the eleventh century, especially among the Benedictine monks.[10] The first altar
to the Mater Dolorosa was set up in 1221 at the Cistercian monastery of Schönau.

The formal feast of the Our Lady of Sorrows was originated by a provincial synod of Cologne in 1423. It was
designated for the Friday after the third Sunday after Easter and had the title: Commemoratio angustiae et
doloris B. Mariae V. Its object was the sorrow of Mary during the Crucifixion and Death of Christ. Before the
sixteenth century this feast was limited to the dioceses of North Germany, Scandinavia, and Scotland.[3]

According to Fr. William Saunders, "... in 1482, the feast was officially placed
in the Roman Missal under the title of Our Lady of Compassion, highlighting
the great love our Blessed Mother displayed in suffering with her Son. The
word compassion derives from the Latin roots cum and patior which means
"to suffer with".[10]

After 1600 it became popular in France and was set for the Friday before Palm
Sunday. By a Decree of 22 April 1727, Pope Benedict XIII extended it to the
entire Latin Church, under the title "Septem dolorum B.M.V.".[3] In 1954, it
still held the rank of major double (slightly lower than the rank of the
September feast) in the General Roman Calendar. Pope John XXIII's 1960
Code of Rubrics reduced it to the level of a commemoration.

The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In 1668, a separate feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, celebrated on the third
Sunday in September, was granted to the Servites.[3] Pope Pius VII
Mater Dolorosa
introduced it into the General Roman Calendar in 1814. In 1913, Pope Pius X,
in view of his reform giving precedence to Sundays over ordinary feasts,
moved this feast to September 15, the day after the Feast of the Cross.[11] It is still observed on that date.

Since there were thus two feasts with the same title, on each of which the Stabat Mater sequence was recited, the
Passion Week celebration was removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1969 as a duplicate of the
September feast.[12] Each of the two celebrations had been called a feast of "The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed
Virgin Mary" (Latin: Septem Dolorum Beatae Mariae Virginis). Recitation of the Stabat Mater was made
optional.

The existence of traditional manifestations of public devotion, such as

processions with statues of Our Lady of Sorrows on days leading to Good
Friday, has led to the maintenance on the previous Friday of the liturgical
celebration of the Sorrows of Mary in some local calendars, as in Malta.

For everywhere the latest edition of the Roman Missal provides on that Friday
the optional collect:

O God, who in this season

give your Church the grace

Procession in honor of Our Lady of
to imitate devoutly the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sorrows as part of Holy Week
observances in Cocula, Guerrero,
in contemplating the Passion of Christ,

Mexico
grant, we pray, through her intercession,

that we may cling more firmly each day

to your Only Begotten Son

and come at last to the fullness of his grace.

Pope Benedict XVI's motu proprio Summorum Pontificum authorizes, under certain conditions, continued use of
the 1962 Roman Missal, which contains the feast of the Friday of the fifth week of Lent.
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Iconography
Our Lady of Sorrows is often depicted with either one or seven swords piercing her heart, the first a reference to
the prophecy of Simeon, the second to the Seven Sorrows. The type dates from the latter part of the 15th
century.[13]

Patronage
Our Lady of Sorrows is the patron saint of:

people named Dolores, Dolorita, Lola and Pia.

Poland: the icon Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen and Patroness of Poland
(see also: Patron saints of Poland § Primary) was canonically crowned by
Pope Paul VI on 15 August 1967.
Malta: on Friday of Sorrows, almost all parishes in Malta hold devotional
penitentiary processions with a life-size statue of Our Lady of Sorrows
through the streets of the parish.
Slovakia: 15 September is also a national public holiday[14]
Granada, Spain: September 15 is a public holiday in the city.[15]
The Congregation of Holy Cross[16]
Order of the Servants of Mary
Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows[17]
Mola di Bari and the Molise region of Italy Our Lady of Sorrows venerated in
Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, Queen and Patroness of Dolores, Quezon, Philippines
the City and Province of Cavite, Philippines
Ronda, Cebu
Mississippi, United States
Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Mater Dolorosa (Berlin-Lankwitz)

Churches:

Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica, Chicago, United States[18]

Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica, Šaštín-Stráže, Slovakia[14]
Église Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs, Montreal, Canada
Senhora das Dores Church, Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal An annual Our Lady of
Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, Montevideo Sorrows procession in
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
St. Mary's Church (Fairfax Station, Virginia)
is a tradition begun in the
Our Lady of Sorrows Church (Santa Barbara, California) 1940s by immigrants from
Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Ká-Hó, Coloane, Macau. Mola di Bari, celebrating
Our Lady of Sorrows of Calolbon (Batong Paloway), Paloway, San Andres, their hometown patroness
Catanduanes, Philippines
National Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows, Dolores, Quezon, Philippines
Diocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de Turumba, Pakil, Laguna, Philippines
Church of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows (Czech: Kostel Panny Marie Sedmibolestné, lit. 'Church of Virgin Mary
of Seven Pains'), Rabštejn nad Střelou, Czech Republic
Our Lady of Compassion, Piedade, Goa, India
Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows, Starkenburg, Missouri[19]

Gallery
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Our Lady of Sorrows, depicted as "Mater Dolorosa" (Mother of Sorrows) has been the subject of some key works
of Roman Catholic Marian art. Mater Dolorosa is one of the three common artistic representations of a sorrowful
Virgin Mary, the other two being Stabat Mater and Pietà.[20]

In this iconography, Our Lady of Seven Sorrows is at times simply represented in a sad and anguished mode by
herself, her expression being that of tears and sadness. In other representations the Virgin Mary is depicted with
seven swords in her heart, a reference to the prophecy of Simeon at the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.

Madonna in Sorrow, by Titian, Our Lady of Sorrows, by Pieter Madonna in Sorrow, by Juan de
1554 Pourbus, 1556 Juni, 1571

Mater dolorosa, by El Greco c. Dolorosa, Murillo, 1665 The Madonna in Sorrow by

1590 Giovanni Battista Salvi da
Sassoferrato, 17th century

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Mater Dolorosa The oldest Nuestra Señora de la Soledad Our Lady of Sorrows, El Viso
image in the Philippines dating de Porta Vaga, Philippines. del Alcor, Seville, Spain.
1785 owned by the Macalalag
Family in Iloilo City, Philippines.

Sorrowful Mother of Nuestra Señora de Dolores, Nuestra Señora de los Dolores

Warfhuizen, Warfhuizen, Metropolitan Cathedral of de Turumba, Pakil, Laguna,
Netherlands Chihuahua, Mexico Philippines

Dieric Bouts, Netherlandish,

Mater Dolorosa, 1470–75

See also
Acts of Reparation to the Virgin Mary
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Mission San Francisco de Asís in San Francisco, California, known also as Mission Dolores
Pietà
Seven Joys of Mary
Stabat Mater
The Glories of Mary

References
1. Ball, Ann (2003). "Seven Sorrows of Mary". Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices. Huntington IN:
Our Sunday Visitor. p. 525. ISBN 0-87973-910-X.
2. "Our Lady of Sorrows", Marian Library, University of Dayton (https://udayton.edu/imri/mary/o/our-lady-of-sorro
ws-title-origins.php)
3. Holweck, Frederick. "Feasts of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary." The Catholic Encyclopedia (ht
tp://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14151b.htm) Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 14
September 2021 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
4. Order of Friar Servants of Mary: The Confraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows (http://www.servite.org/confrat.htm)
Archived (https://archive.today/20130113074755/http://www.servite.org/confrat.htm) 2013-01-13 at
archive.today - retrieved on 22-Mar-2009
5. Francis de Zulueta, 2008, Early Steps In The Fold, Miller Press, ISBN 978-1-4086-6003-4, p. 301
6. Kosloski, Philip (2018-02-17). "A powerful novena in honor of the Sorrowful Mother" (https://aleteia.org/2018/0
2/17/a-powerful-novena-in-honor-of-the-sorrowful-mother/). Aleteia. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20
180613194547/https://aleteia.org/2018/02/17/a-powerful-novena-in-honor-of-the-sorrowful-mother/) from the
original on 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2018-12-25. "The core of the prayers in the novena is the Via Matris, which
can be found here (http://www.ols.org/prayer-life/congregation-devotions/devotion-to-our-lady-of-sorrows/via-
matris/)." {{cite web}}: External link in |quote= (help)
7. "The Via Matris" (http://www.ols.org/prayer-life/congregation-devotions/devotion-to-our-lady-of-sorrows/via-ma
tris/). Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows. 2016. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20181225171710/http://ww
w.ols.org/prayer-life/congregation-devotions/devotion-to-our-lady-of-sorrows/via-matris/) from the original on
2018-12-25. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
8. Churchly joy: Orthodox devotions for the church year by Sergeĭ Nikolaevich Bulgakov, Boris Jakim 2008
ISBN 0-8028-4834-6 pages 10-11
9. Orthodox life, Volumes 54-55, Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, N.Y.) page 7
10. Saunders, William. "The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows", Arlington Catholic Herald, 2000 (http://www.catholice
ducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-feast-of-our-lady-of-sorrows.html)
11. "Calendarium Romanum", Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969, p. 103
12. Calendarium Romanum (Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis 1969). p.119
13. Stracke, Richard. "Mater Dolorosa", Christian Iconography, Augusta University (https://www.christianiconogra
phy.info/materDolorosa.html)
14. O'Kane, Lydia. "Pope in Slovakia: Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows", Vatican News, 14 September 2021 (http
s://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-09/pope-in-slovakia-devotion-to-our-lady-of-sorrows.html)
15. "Festividad de la patrona de Granada | Turismo de Granada" (http://www.granadatur.com/virgen-de-las-agusti
as/). www.granadatur.com. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
16. Congregation of Holy Cross, US (https://www.holycrossusa.org/article/our-lady-of-sorrows/)
17. Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows (http://www.ols.org/)
18. Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica, chicago (https://www.ols-chicago.com/)
19. Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows (http://vivaro-hshrine-primary.cluster2.hgsitebuilder.com/)
20. Arthur de Bles, 2004 How to Distinguish the Saints in Art by Their Costumes, Symbols and Attributes ISBN 1-
4179-0870-X page 35

Further reading

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The Seven Sorrows of Mary, by Joel Giallanza, C.S.C. 2008, published by Ave Maria Press, ISBN 1-59471-
176-3

External links
The Seven Sorrows Devotion (http://www.themostholyrosary.com/appendix1.htm)

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