Mater Dolorosa

Today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Below are some of the photos I took at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Golgotha) in Jerusalem.

Our Lady of Sorrows, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows and Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolors are names by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life.

As Mater Dolorosa, it is also a key subject for Marian art in the Catholic Church.



The Seven Sorrows of Mary are a popular Roman Catholic devotion. There are devotional prayers which consist of meditation on her Seven Sorrows.

The Seven Sorrows (or Dolors) are events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary which are a popular devotion and are frequently depicted in art.

It is a common devotion for Catholics to say daily one Our Father and seven Hail Mary for each.

1. The Prophecy of Simeon. (Luke 2:34-35)
2. The Flight into Egypt. (Matthew 2:13)
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple. (Luke 2:43-45)
4. Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary. (Luke 23:26)
5. Jesus Dies on the Cross. (John 19:25)
6. Mary Receives the Body of Jesus in Her Arms. (Matthew 27:57-59)
7. The Body of Jesus Is Placed in the Tomb. (John 19:40-42)