La Beata Vergine Addolorata, tra devozione popolare e Liturgia

In brief

The Church celebrates the memorial of the Beata Vergine Maria Addolorata on September 15, a feast day that connects popular devotion with liturgy. Pope Pio VII introduced this memorial into the liturgical calendar in 1814, following a gradual process that moved the devotion from the people to the formal prayer of the Church.

The feast honors Mary standing near the cross during the crucifixion of Jesus, a scene described in the Gospel of John. This moment inspired a long tradition of prayers, songs, and popular devotions. Religious orders such as the Servi di Maria and the Passionisti helped spread these practices.