Following the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, today we celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Similar to yesterday's feast, it was St John Eudes who promoted this devotion first in 1648 in the town of Autun, France, and later on in all the French dioceses. In 1799, Pope Pius VI granted the Bishop of Palermo the permission to celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in his diocese. When the revelation of the 'Miraculous Medal" to St Catherine Laboure took place in 1830, the impetus for this devotion was even more obvious. In the back of this famous medal, two hearts are seen under a cross with the letter M superimposed. The heart of Jesus is surrounded by a crown of thorns, and that of Mary pierced by a sword. The image of Mary in sacred art is one of the most popular in Malta with most church having statues and paintings of the Blessed Mother, including the one shown here of Mary with a Maltese Cross medallion on her breast, which is found in St. Augustine's church, Valletta. It's interesting to note that every month of the year has a feast dedicated to the Blessed Mother.
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