Solemnity of the Annunciation

On March 25th of each year the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.  The schedule of Masses offered on this special solemnity is as follows:

Monday, March 24, 2025 (Vigil)

• 4:00PM — St. Titus
• 6:00PM — St. Frances Cabrini

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

• 7:00AM — St. Titus
• 8:30AM — Our Lady of Fatima
• 12:10PM — St. Frances Cabrini
• 6:30PM — St. John the Baptist

The Solemnity of the Annunciation spotlights the coming of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to announce to her the special mission God had chosen for her in being the mother of His only Son.

The celebrating of the Feast of the Annunciation began in the fourth and fifth centuries, soon after the date for celebrating Christmas was universalized throughout the Church. This feast honors the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity and the salvation of all mankind. This teaching of our Faith was deeply discussed by many of the Church Fathers such as Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine, in order to explain it to the faithful and to increase their understanding of God’s deep love for them.

We are reminded of the importance of this feast in regards to our salvation in various devotional prayers. Two examples are the Angelus and the Joyous Mysteries (of the Rosary).

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary....

Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary....

And the Word was made Flesh.
And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary....

℣ Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
℟ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

(Let us pray)
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that, we to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an Angel, may by His Passion and Cross, be brought to the glory of His Resurrection through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Ave, Regina Caelorum

[for use from the Presentation until Easter]
Hail, Queen of heaven.  Hail, O Lady of Angels
Hail! thou root; Hail! thou gate From whom unto the word a Light has arisen.

Rejoice, O glorious Virgin, Lovely beyond all others,
Farewell, most beautiful maiden, And pray for us to Christ.

℣ Allow me to praise you, O sacred Virgin.
℟ Against your enemies give me strength.

Grant unto us, O merciful God, a defense against our weakness, that we who remember the holy Mother of God, by the help of her intercession, may rise from our iniquities, through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen.