“The United States of America is indeed the land of Mary
Immaculate.”
The United States
Bishops, in the year 1846, chose the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title as the
Immaculate Conception as the patroness of the United States of America.
This is why we have the Basilica of the National Shrine of the ImmaculateConception in Washington, D.C.
“With enthusiastic acclaim and
with unanimous approval and consent, the Fathers [of the
Council] have chosen the Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin,
as the Patroness of the United States of America” decreed the
U.S. bishops on May 13, 1846.
The
choice of Our Lady in her Immaculate Conception as Patroness of the United
States was approved by Pope Pius IX on Feb. 7, 1847.
The American Bishops
chose this title of Mary as the patroness of the United States, requesting
special permission from the Holy Father to do so, before the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed
Virgin Mary became dogma for the universal Church. In fact, this request of the
U.S. bishops to the Holy See to promote or claim this title of Our Lady as
their patron may have been a significant contributing factor to the later
declaration of the dogma.
On Dec.
8, 1854, eight years and four months after the American bishops had chosen Mary
Immaculate as the Patroness of the United States, Pope Pius IX solemnly
declared the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary to be an article
of faith.
Read the full historical
account of how America became the “Land of Mary Immaculate” and the role of our
U.S. bishops in the declaration of this Marian dogma here.
Oh Mary,conceived without sin, pray for us who
have recourse to thee!
