Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

On this feast, we celebrate Mary’s conception free from the stain of Original Sin, and we recognize that Mary’s life began the moment she was conceived in the womb of St. Anne. So, too, does every human life begin at the moment of fertilization, when it is lovingly knit together by God the Father.  Normally celebrated on December 8, this year the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception falls on a Sunday and is therefore transferred to December 9.