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As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
First century A.D.
Patron Saint of penitent sinners, contemplative life, women, converts, pharmacists, and those seeking deeper love of Christ
St. Mary Magdalene holds a unique and honored place among the followers of Jesus Christ as one of His most faithful disciples and the first witness of His Resurrection. Her story appears prominently in the Gospels, where she is described as a woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons, after which she became one of His devoted followers.
Mary Magdalene is consistently portrayed in Scripture as accompanying Jesus during His public ministry, supporting Him and the Apostles out of her own means, and remaining close even during moments of great suffering. Unlike many of the disciples who fled during the Passion, she remained and stood at the foot of the Cross alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary.
After Jesus’ burial, Mary Magdalene went early in the morning on the first day of the week to the tomb, bringing spices to anoint His body. There she discovered the stone rolled away and encountered angels who announced that Jesus had risen. Shortly after, she encountered the Risen Christ Himself in the garden. Jesus entrusted her with the message of His Resurrection and sent her to tell the Apostles that He had risen. Because of this mission, she is traditionally honored as the “Apostle to the Apostles.”
Accounts of her later years are conflicting, but it is agreed that she lived a long life and died peacefully, having spent her remaining years with fellow believers, devoted entirely to Christ.
St. Mary Magdalene has long been venerated as a model of repentance, contemplative love, and courageous faith. Her feast day, July 22, celebrates her role as a privileged witness to the Resurrection and a disciple whose love for Christ remained steadfast to the end.
Mary Magdalene is given the title “Apostle to the Apostles” because she was the first person entrusted by the Risen Christ to announce His Resurrection to the eleven Apostles. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus appeared to her in the garden near the tomb and instructed her to go and tell the Apostles that He had risen. In doing so, she became the first messenger of the Resurrection, carrying the central proclamation of the Christian Faith to those who would later spread it throughout the world. This role highlights her unique place in salvation history. This title has ancient roots, with use by theologians such as Augustine in the fourth century and later by Thomas Aquinas, who referred to her as apostolorum apostola.
Several relics attributed to Mary Magdalene are preserved, primarily at the Basilica of Saint Maximin la Sainte-Baume in Southern France. The most significant relic, a skull, is kept in a gilded reliquary. This relic has been the subject of recent studies, showing that it belonged to a woman of Mediterranean descent, about 50 years old, who died in the first century A.D. Some believe Mary Magdalene died in Provence, France, after fleeing persecution in Judea. While the authenticity of these relics is historically debated, they have long been recognized and venerated by the Church. Other relics are preserved in Fiorentini, Italy, and Athos, Greece.
Over the centuries, St. Mary Magdalene has been venerated in various ways within Christian tradition. In the Western Church, she has often been honored as a model of repentance and contemplative love for Christ. In Eastern Christian tradition, she is especially revered as a “myrrhbearer,” one of the women who brought spices to Jesus’ tomb and first witnessed the Resurrection. During the Medieval period, she was highly revered, often as a model of contemplation and deep penitence. In recent decades, the Church has emphasized her role as a primary witness to the Resurrection and an exemplary disciple, restoring focus to her biblical identity as a faithful follower of Christ.
St. Mary Magdalene is a disciple of Christ to whom every person can relate. She was a sinner, experienced human weakness, and was persecuted and humiliated. The fact that she brought this sin and shame to Christ is what makes her a great saint.
This eBook shares three lessons we can learn from St. Mary Magdalene and how we can look to her as an example of humility, repentance, bravery, and evangelization.
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Examine how history gives a reasonable account of Mary Magdalene’s exile in France, including a look at what is generally accepted as her hermit cave in the cliff of St. Baume and how it reveals the spirituality of a woman who truly loved Christ.
Fr. Chris explains who St. Mary Magdalene was, discusses speculations about her, and dispels false claims made in The Da Vinci Code. Courtney Lenaburg also joins the discussion.
Mother Angelica provides inspired insights about holy women of the Bible—the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Mary Magdalene, and St. Martha. She says we are to approach God as we are best able, with our prayers and actions.
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As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
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