“God uses a woman to announce the foundational truth
of Christianity”.
Paige Furner wrote, on the feast day
of St. Mary Magdalene, 22 July 2025:
St Mary Magdalene –
Apostle to the Apostles and herald of the resurrection - The Catholic
Leader
St
Mary Magdalene – Apostle to the Apostles and herald of the resurrection
By Paige Furner
TODAY we honour St Mary
Magdalene as “Apostle to the Apostles,” remembered for her unwavering faith,
her presence at both the Cross and the empty tomb and her transformative
encounter with the Risen Lord.
She is mentioned 12 times in
the Gospels and is always portrayed as a devoted companion of Christ.
Catholic News Agency says that
she was “a woman who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary,
called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out.”
That healing marked the
beginning of her discipleship. Pope Benedict XVI captured the essence of her
transformation in a 2007 general audience.
“A disciple of Christ is one
who, in the experience of human weakness, has had the humility to ask for his
help, has been healed by him, and has followed him closely,” he said.
“Mary Magdalene’s loyalty led
her to remain at the foot of the Cross when most of Jesus’ followers had fled.
Early on Easter morning, she
went to the tomb to anoint his body. When she found the stone rolled away and
the body missing, she stood outside weeping.
“In John’s Gospel, she says to
the angels, ‘They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid
him’.”
It was then that she saw
Jesus, but did not immediately recognise him. He spoke one word, her name:
“Mary.”
This simple, personal call
opened her eyes and she became the first to witness the Resurrection and, as
Pope Benedict XVI said, “returned to the disciples to announce to them the
message of the Resurrection.”
In that moment, Mary Magdalene
was entrusted with the greatest proclamation of all time.
The early Church would later
call her Apostola Apostolorum – Apostle to the Apostles.
As the Crossroads Initiative
explains: “She becomes the first witness of the Resurrection and the first
evangelist.”
Recognising this, Pope Francis
elevated her memorial to a feast day in 2016, on par with the liturgical
celebrations of the apostles.
Cardinal Arthur Roche, then
Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, wrote that the change “seeks
to reflect more deeply upon the dignity of women, on the new evangelisation and
on the greatness of the mystery of God’s Mercy.”
The elevation also
acknowledges her theological importance.
She was not simply a
background figure but an active and central voice in the early Christian
community.
St Mary Magdalene went from
being possessed by seven demons to proclaiming the risen Christ to the Apostles
themselves.
She stands as a sign of hope
and renewal for all, especially those who feel disqualified by their
past.
St Thomas Aquinas reflected on
her privileged role, “she was an apostle to the apostles insofar as it was her
task to announce our Lord’s resurrection to the disciples.”
Her witness also invites
reflection on the role of women in the Church—not just historically, but today.
In elevating her memorial, the
Church “intends to underline the relevance of this woman who showed great love
for Christ and was greatly loved by Christ,” as Archbishop Roche wrote.
Pope Benedict XVI highlighted
this importance, noting that “God uses a woman to announce the foundational
truth of Christianity.”
St Mary Magdalene becomes a
model not only for repentance but for proclamation.
She was not silenced or
sidelined but sent.
On her feast day, the Church
is invited to hear Christ’s voice calling each of us by name.
Like St Mary Magdalene, we are
sent to carry the unwavering loyalty towards our Lord.
