54-60 First allusion to Mary in Paul’s Letter to the
Galatians (4:4 "God sent his son born of a woman")
65 Mary
mentioned twice in Mark’s Gospel
70-100 Matthew’s Gospel, Luke Acts and John’s Gospel show Mary’s presence in the life of Jesus and the early Christian Community
90-100 Mary and the Church are both symbolized in the image
of the woman in the Book of Revelation (chapter 12)
ca. 110 Ignatius of Antioch makes references to Mary as Virgin
and Mother.
150-165 Justin Martyr brings the comparison between Eve and Mary (Eve-Mary Parallel)
150-202 Irenaeus of Lyons points to
Mary’s role in redemption (Mary is causa salutis
and advocata Evae)
late 2nd C. Early
paintings of Mary in the catacombs
200-350 Composition of the prayer Sub tuum
praesidium – the oldest Marian prayer
217 Founding
of
300 Introduction
of the Akathistos Hymn in the East
306-373 Ephrem of
Syria known for his poetic writings about Mary
350 Earliest recorded invocation of Mary by St. Justina
352-366 Founding of Saint Mary Major under Pope Liberius I
370 Earliest
liturgy of Mary composed in
339-397 Ambrose of Milan speaks of Mary as type of the Church
354-430 Augustine of Hippo speaks of Mary as most excellent member and type of the Church
ca. 400 Earliest version of the Transitus of Mary
400-500
Feast
of the Annunciation celebrated in
Introduction
of the Feast of the Commemoration of the Virgin throughout
431 Council
of
432 Dedication
of the enlarged Church of Saint Mary Major/Rome by Pope Sixtus
III
440-461 Introduction of Marian reference in the Eucharistic
prayer of the Leonine Sacramentary,
("In
communion with and venerating in the first place the glorious ever-Virgin Mary,
Mother of God. ...")
500-600
Parthenon (
Dedication
of Saint Mary Antiqua/
550 Celebration
of the Feasts of the Birth of Mary, the Presentation of Jesus, and the Dormition in
600-700
Composition of
the Marian antiphon Ave Maris Stella,
Celebration
of the Feast of the Purification (February 2), the Annunciation
(March 25) the Assumption (August 15) and the Birth of Mary in
649 Council
of the Lateran declares the perpetual virginity of Mary
680-681 The Third Council of Constantinople reaffirms Mary's Divine Motherhood
787 The
Second Council of
ca. 802 Alcuin composes Masses in honour of Our Lady on Saturday,
which become part of the Missal in 875
900-1000
Composition of
the antiphon Regina Coeli,
Introduction
of The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin
Mary,
Translation
of the Transitus stories into Latin,
Dedication
of the Saturdays to Mary
1000/1100 Introduction of Feast of Mary's Compassion,
Composition
of Hail Holy Queen,
Start
of the building Notre Dame Cathedral in Chartres/France
1050-1150
Composition of
the antiphons Alma Redemptoris Mater and Salve
Regina,
Building
of the
1100-1200 Early versions of the Litany of
the Virgin Mary and the first part of the Hail Mary
1100-1135 Rupert of Deutz gives Marian interpretation of the Song of Songs
and speaks of Mary’s spiritual motherhood
1100-1153 Anselm of Canterbury and Bernard of Clairvaux highlight Mary's redemption in addition to her role in the incarnation
1163-1235
1194-1220/60 Rebuilding and dedication of the Cathedral in Chartres/France
1230-1280 Albert the Great uses the title "Mother of the Church"
1250-1274 Bonaventure introduces the word hyperdulia for the
type of veneration given to Mary
1251 St. Simon Stock receives the Scapular from Mary
1260-1306 Composition of the Stabat
Mater by Jacopone da Todi
1265-1308 Duns Scotus is the first to set
forth sound arguments for Mary's Immaculate Conception
1300-1400 Institution of the Feast of Mary's Presentation
1326 Founding of Oriel
College/Oxford and its dedication to Mary
1372 Institution of the Feast of Mary’s Purification in
the West
1379 Founding of Saint Mary's College/Oxford and its
dedication
1400-1500 Composition of the Memorare
1423 Institution of the Feast of the Sorrows of Mary
1440 Founding of
1475 Founding of the first Confraternity of the Rosary
1495 Approval of the Rosary by Pope Alexander VI
1531 Apparition of the Blessed Virgin to Juan Diego at
Guadalupe/
1538 Destruction of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
1558 Publication of the Litany of Loreto
1547/63 Council
of
1563 Founding of the Marian Sodality
1577 Peter Canisius writes De
Maria Virgine Incomparabili
1550-1617 Suarez develops a first systematic teaching on Mary
17th C The
French School of Sprituality (Bérulle, Condren, Olier, John Eudes, also
John-Baptist de la Salle, Grignion
de Montfort) brings about a renewal of Marian
devotion: Mary at the heart of the Christian mystery; the first and most
perfect Christian
1750 Alphonsus de Liguori writes The Glories of
Mary
1754 Proclamation of Our Lady of Guadalupe
as patroness of
1815 Adding of the invocation Mary, Help of Christians
to the Marian Litany
Institution
of the Feast Mary, Help of Christians
1830 Apparition to Catherine Labouré
in Paris/France
1842 Discovery of Grignion de Montfort’s book True Devotion
1846 Apparition at La Salette/France
1849 Pope Pius IX’s Encyclical Ubi
Primum, emphasizing Mary’s Immaculate Conception
1854 Proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate
Conception of Mary by Pope Pius IX
1858 Apparition at Lourdes/France
1871 Apparition at Pontmain/France
1879 Apparition at Knock/Ireland
1883-1902 Pope Leo XIII:
eleven Marian encyclicals, advocation devotion to
Mary and praying the Rosary (Octobri Mense)
1883 Adding of the invocation Queen of the Most Holy
Rosary to the Marian Litany
1900 Proclamation of Our Lady of Guadalupe as Patroness
of the
1904 Encyclical Ad Diem Illum
laetissimum by Pope Pius X
1907 Institution of the Feast of our Lady of
1917 Apparition at Fatima/Portugal
1918 Adding of the invocation Queen of Peace to
the Marian Litany
1921 Founding of The
Legion of Mary in Dublin/Irland
1931 Institution of the Feast of the Divine Motherhood
of Mary
1932/1933 Apparition at Beauraing/Belgium
1937 Apparition at Banneux/Belgium
1942 According
to Mary’s wish at Fatima Pope Pius XII dedicates the world to the Immaculate
Heart of Mary
1944 Institution of the Feast of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary
1946 Encyclical
Deiparae Virginis
Mariae (on the possibility of defining the Assumption) by Pope Pius XII
1950 Proclamation
of the Dogma of Mary's Assumption by Pope Pius XII in the Apostolic Constituion Munificentissimus
Deus
1950 Adding of the invocation Mary, Queen assumed into
heaven to the Marian Litany
1951 Encyclical
Ingruentium Malorum
on the spiritual power of the Rosary by Pope Pius XII
1954 Encyclical
Fulgens Corona by Pope Pius XII with
the proclamation of a Marian Year in commemoratio the centenary of the Dogma of the Immaculate
Conception,
Encyclical
Ad Caeli Reginam by
Pope Pius XII with the proclamation of Mary’s Queenship
and its institution as a Feast
1964 Promulgation
of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium by Pope Paul VI
at the Second Vatican Council: Chapter Eight of the Constitution gives the
first Conciliar synthesis of
the Church’s teaching on Mary’s place in the mystery of Christ and the Church,
Proclamation
of Mary as Mater Ecclesiae by Pope Paul VI
1965 Encyclical Mense
Maio by Pope Paul VI
1966 Encyclical Christi Matri
by Pope Paul VI
1967 Apostolic
Exhortation Signum Magnum by Pope Paul VI, commemorating the 50th
anniversary of Mary's apparition at
1969 Publication
of the revised Roman Missal, which is indicative of the implementation
of the Conciliar teaching of Mary's role in the
mystery of Christ and the Church and the elimination of certain minor Marian
feasts
1970 Publication of the revised Liturgy of the Hours,
also indicative of a revised Marian
approach regarding
Marian readings, antiphons and hymns
1973 Publication of the
1974 Apostolic
Exhortation Marialis Cultus: For the
right ordering and development of devotion ot the Blessed Virgin Mary
1980 Adding of the invocation Mother of the Church
to the Marian Litany
1987 Proclamation of a Marian Year (June 7,
1987-August 15, 1988),
Encyclical
Letter Redemptoris Mater by Pope John
Paul II,
Publication
of the Latin Edition of the Collection of Marian Masses
1988 Publication
of the Letter from the Congregation for Catholic Education: The Virgin Mary
in Intellectual and Spiritual Formation
1992 Publication
of the complete English edition of the Collection of Masses of the Blessed
Virgin Mary
1994 Publication
of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Catechism show the intergral role of Mary in the mystery of Christ and the
Church
1995 Adding of the
invocation Mary, Queen of Families to the Marian Litany
1998 Bull of Indiction of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 The
Mystery of the Incarnation by Pope John Paul II: Mary, the Mother of the
Church, intercedes for the Christian people during the time of preparation for
the great jubilee year
2000 The
Holy Year of Christ’s Birth,
Mary
and the Trinity - XX International Mariological-Marian
Congress in Rome/Italy,
Consecration
of the World to Mary by Pope John Paul II and the
References:
Catholic Book Publishing Co., Dictionary
of Mary “Behold your Mother,” revised and expanded edition (New Jersey:
Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1997);
Fiores de S.,
Meo, S., eds., Nuevo Diccionario de Mariología
(Madrid: Ediciones Paulinas, 1988);
Pannet, R., Bavaud, G., Margerie de, B., Dictionnaire Marial
(Chambray-lès-Tours: C.L.D., 1991);
Stöhr, J., “Mariologie,” in R. Bäumer, L. Scheffczyk, eds., Marienlexikon
6 Vols. (St. Ottilien: EOS Verlag,
1992), Vol. 4, 320-326;
Warner, M., Alone of All Her
Sex: The Myth and the Cult of the Virgin Mary (New York: Alfred A. Knopf,
1976).
Compiled By: Sr. Isabell Naumann
[Will be updated]