Mama Mary’s nativity

Today, September 8, Catholics are joyfully celebrating the birthday of Mama Mary. For more than 15 centuries, her birthday has been remembered "exactly nine months after December 8 --the feast of the Immaculate Conception-- the day on which the Virgin Mary herself was conceived in the womb of her mother."

There are other feast days of Mama Mary that are celebrated as well. The dates may differ across countries but these are Marian feasts listed in the marian.org website:

For January, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and Our Lady of Prompt Succor, for February, the Presentation of the Lord and Our Lady of Lourdes, for March, the Annunciation.

April has no Marian feast day while the feasts of Our Lady of Fatima and the Visitation are celebrated during the merry, Mary month of May.

June remembers Our Mother of Perpetual Help. The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is in July. The Assumption and Queenship of Mary are celebrated in August.

Our Lady's Nativity is remembered this 8th day of September. The Most Holy Name of Mary and Our Lady of Sorrows are other Marian feast days in September.

October 7 celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. In November, there is the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin. For December, there are two feast days; the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The first Saturday of each Month is also dedicated to Marian devotions.

Our Lady of the Sea, translated from the Latin term, Stella Maris, is an ancient title for Mama Mary since about the early medieval period. Mama Mary is revered for her role as "guiding star" on the way to Christ and as a guide and protector of seafarers in particular, the Apostleship of the Sea, with centers located in many parts of the world.

In Cebu, the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) has a center, the Stella Maris Seafarers' Center (SMSC) near Pier 4, Cebu City.

On September 30, Sunday, a double celebration of the 11th Feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Star of the Sea and the 23rd National Seafarers' Day will take place at the SMSC. This year's theme is “Our Lady of the Sea journeying with Filipino Seafarers: Treasure of our Race.”

Expected to attend are seafarers and their families, port authorities and workers, staff of training centers and manning centers, and maritime students.  The event will start with registration at 9 a.m., followed by Mass at 10 a.m., then Agape at noon, and from 1 p.m. tribute to seafarers.

The image of Our Lady Star of the Sea will visit several maritime offices from September 3 to 30. Novena days will be from September 21 to 29. Rosary and novena prayer will start at 6 p.m. and Mass at 6:30 p.m. at the Stella Maris Seafarers' Center.

For more details of this event, please contact 383-6052.

Fr. John Mission, AOS chaplain, his staff, volunteers and partners are busily participating in and managing the various activities for this happy September double celebration. Still, however, they continue to render pastoral and other services for the peoples of the sea. They are proceeding with ship and hospital visitation, counseling and assisting of those in need, as well as outreach to places where they can link with seafarers, their families, fisherfolk and others especially the needy.

Like the land-based migrants, our sea-based migrants share happy as well as sad stories about their journeys. Their children and families also have their own stories to share. Dialogues and interactive activities are also encouraged in the SMSC, the seafarers' home on land.