December 10 + Our Lady of Loreto

The feast day of Our Lady of Loreto is a longstanding devotion to Our Blessed Mother. The title refers to the Holy House of Loreto, the house in which Mary was born, and where the Annunciation occurred. Church tradition holds that the angels scooped up the humble home of Mary from the Holy Land, transporting it three times — first to Tersatto (Croatia) in 1291, three years later to Recanati (Italy), and finally to Loreto (Italy) where it has remained for centuries.

The Holy House of Loreto is the first shrine of international renown dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, and has been known as a Marian center for centuries. Countless saints have visited the house on pilgrimages including Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint King Louis of France, Saint Francis Xavier, Saint Charles Borromeo, Saint Francis Borgia, Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Saint James of La Marca, Saint Stanislaus Kostka, Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, Saint Francis Caracciolo, and Saint Therese of Lisieux. Over 45 popes have sanctioned the story of the house’s miraculous transport. Popes have always held the Shrine of Loreto in special esteem, pronounced it’s veracity as the dwelling of the Holy Virgin, and it falls under their direct authority and protection because of the “divine mysteries which took place there.”

Today, a Basilica has been built around the tiny house, and thousands flock to visit each year.