Feast of the Visitation

On this final day of May, a month when we remember Mary, we celebrate the feast of the visitation on the 31st May.  For a colouring page of the visitation click here 

Visitation: Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth

The stained glass window is in the Lady Chapel, Lancaster Cathedral.  It shows the scene of Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth who was also expecting a baby (John the Baptist).  The importance of this visit is explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church where it says:

717 "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John." John was "filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb" by Christ himself, whom the Virgin Mary had just conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary's visitation to Elizabeth thus became a visit from God to his people. Catechism of Catholic Church

We remember the story of the visitation and what Elizabeth says to Mary, every time we say the 'Hail Mary'. We are also reminded of the visitation when we say the rosary.  We remember the visitation which is the second of the Joyful Mysteries.