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On this date, May 31, in 1970 I was baptized at St. Stephen Church on Napoleon Ave. in New Orleans. It is also my wife, Melanie’s, birthday. And most importantly on this day, the Feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary is celebrated by the Catholic Church.

It is the day that we remember how Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist at the same time. It is a day to remember the sanctity of the family and the hope we place in generations to come. We are mysteriously connected to our parents and our children in the same way that Mary was mysteriously connected to Jesus.

Below is a video of a talk by Dr. Mark Miravalle on Mary and the reality of Mary’s motherly and spiritual mediation. Dr. Miravalle was one of my professors at Franciscan University. He is a prayerful and highly intellectual man who, if you notice, always speaks with a Rosary bundled up in his right hand. I admire him very much, and I hope you watch the video.

It’s nice to know I share the same day of baptism with St. John the Baptist.

I would also like to recommend this book to learn more on how the early Christian Church, those who were closest to the source, historically speaking, perceived the role of Mary in Christianity.

Mary and the Fathers of the ChurchFather Luigi Gambero, internationally-known expert on early Christianity, presents a comprehensive survey of the development of Marian doctrine and devotion during the first eight centuries. Focusing on the lives and works of over thirty of the most famous Church Fathers and early Christian writers, Fr. Gambero has produced a clear and readable summary of the richness of the patristic age’s theological and devotional approach to the Mother of God. The book contains numerous citations from the works of those men who developed the defining Christological and Mariological positions that have constituted the foundational doctrinal teaching of the Church. Each chapter concludes with an extended reading from the works of the patristic authors. A number of these texts have never before been published in English. The thought of the Fathers and early Christian writers continues to fascinate readers today. Their theological acuity and spiritual depth led them faithfully into the mysteries of Sacred Scripture. Their vast experience made them reliable and trustworthy witnesses to the faith of the people of God. “A marvelous window onto Marian doctrine and devotion in the East and the West during that formative period for Church teaching. The text is equally accessible to scholar and first-time student, greatly aided by the fine translation. Highly recommended for all.” - Fr. Peter Stravinskas “Solid and majestic scholarship such as this lets the Fathers speak to our own age when Mary’s glory is neglected by skeptics and pantomimed by the superstitious.” - Fr. George Rutler “A well-known patristics scholar presents a work of much-needed information on post-biblical developments in Marian devotion.” - Fr. Johan Roten, S.M.