Today is the Feast of Assumption of Mary. While the Feast of Assumption of Mary, also known as the Dormition of the Mother of God, only became a Holy Day of Obligation recently – on November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary to be a dogma of faith. In fact, the Feast of the Assumption is one of the oldest holy days in the Church, with accounts of celebrations going back to the sixth century.)
If you have problems understanding this or the Immaculate Conception, remember the old lady in church, saying her rosaries that I’ve made mention of in the past, please go bother her, I’m not even going to try explaining this one to you. Not that I can’t – I just want to see her smack you upside the head.
In case you don’t want to be smacked by that old lady, share with her this tidbit:
August 15, 1534 –
St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spanish ecclesiastic, founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in Paris with the aim of defending Catholicism against heresy and undertaking missionary work, on this date. Ignatius converted to Christianity while convalescing after a battle and wrote his Spiritual Exercises meant as a guide for conversion.
In Paris, Ignatius and a small group of men took vows of poverty, chastity and papal obedience. Ignatius formally organized the order in 1539 that was approved by the pope in 1540. The society‘s rapid growth and emphasis on scholarship aided in the resurgence of Catholicism during the Counter-Reformation.
You may now impress your friends with that bit of knowledge.
The Haus of Dcaligari 