8 December: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Each year on 8 December the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception: the belief that Mary was kept free from original sin from the first moment of her life, so that she could be the mother of Jesus.

A truth defined in 1854, and confirmed at Lourdes

The Church formally defined this teaching in 1854. Four years later, in 1858, a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous saw a lady in the Grotto of Massabielle at Lourdes. When Bernadette asked her name, the lady answered: I am the Immaculate Conception.

Keeping the day

The feast falls in Advent, a time of waiting and preparation. Go to Mass if you can, say a Hail Mary or a decade of the Rosary, and take a moment to thank Our Lady for her yes to God. It is also a lovely time to give a keepsake of Our Lady to someone you love.

Our Lourdes Grotto Purse (Red), the Our Lady of Knock Medal | Sterling Silver Finish | 1879 Commemorative and the Knock Shrine 50th Anniversary Medal | Blue Enamel Gold Finish | 1976-2026 make lovely keepsakes of Our Lady for the day.

Marian Holy Art is an Irish Catholic company offering unique religious gifts and devotional items inspired by Lourdes, Knock and the Catholic faith. Our products are available exclusively through Marian Holy Art and are sold at Knock Shrine, Ireland.