Our Lady of Sorrows, also known as Mater Dolorosa or the Sorrowful Mother, is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary that honors her profound suffering as she accompanied her Son through His Passion, Death, and burial. Her sorrows are traditionally symbolized by seven swords piercing her heart. As Catholics, we pray the novena to Our Lady of Sorrows to unite our sufferings with Mary’s sorrows and, through her intercession, with Christ’s redemptive sacrifice, seeking healing, peace, and deeper trust in God.
Begin PrayingMore about Our Lady of Sorrows
The title "Our Lady of Sorrows," given to the Blessed Mother, focuses on her intense suffering and grief during the Passion and Death of Our Lord. Traditionally, this suffering was not limited to those final hours alone, but comprised the Seven Dolors, or Seven Sorrows of Mary, rooted in Simeon’s prophecy that a sword would pierce her soul (Luke 2:34–35). These seven sorrows are traditionally identified as the prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34–35), the flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13–21), the three-day separation from Jesus in Jerusalem (Luke 2:41–50), and four events related to Christ’s Passion: Mary’s meeting with Jesus on the way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, the removal of Christ’s body from the Cross, and His burial in the tomb. For this reason, Mary is sometimes depicted with her heart exposed and pierced by seven swords. She received each new suffering with the courage, love, and trust of the fiat she first gave at the Annunciation.
Devotion to the sorrows of the Virgin Mary dates from the twelfth century, when it appeared in monastic circles under the influence of St. Anselm and St. Bernard. It was then propagated by the Cistercians and later by the Servites. The Servite Order, founded in Florence in 1233 by its Seven Holy Founders, made meditation on Mary’s sorrows a central devotion. By the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the feast and devotion had spread widely. In 1482, a feast was added to the Roman Missal under the title "Our Lady of Compassion," highlighting the love the Blessed Mother displayed in suffering with her Son. Pope Pius VII extended the feast to the whole Church in 1814, and in 1913 Pope Pius X fixed its date on September 15. The traditional novena is prayed from September 6 through September 14 in preparation for the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15. It may also be prayed at any time of year, especially during grief, illness, or other trials, asking Our Lady of Sorrows to accompany us and lead us closer to Christ at the Cross.
