Dedication of St. Mary Major, August 5
Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major was rebuilt by Pope Sixtus III after the Council of Ephesus in 431 proclaimed Mary Mother of God. A legend says its outline was traced by a snowfall in August, hence the name Our Lady of the Snows. Its fifth-century mosaics are among the oldest in Rome.
On the General Roman Calendar, August 5 is an optional memorial: The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
August 5 on the calendar
August 5 is the 217th day of the year (the 218th in a leap year), with 148 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | Thursday |
| 2028 | Saturday |
| 2029 | Sunday |
| 2030 | Monday |
Keeping August 5
August 5 falls in summer. As an optional memorial, each parish or priest may choose whether to celebrate it. Families who keep name days often mark the day with a card, a candle or a favorite meal, and parishes named after the saint may hold a festival.
Saints of the week around August 5
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| August 2 | St. Eusebius of Vercelli |
| August 3 | St. Lydia |
| August 4 | St. John Vianney |
| August 6 | Transfiguration of the Lord |
| August 7 | St. Cajetan |
| August 8 | St. Dominic |
The day before, August 4, is the day of St. John Vianney. The day after, August 6, belongs to Transfiguration of the Lord. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.