Mary's Ascention - 15th August -

I returned to Bleiburg on the 13^th August 2016 and, lo and behold, on the 15^th of this same month there was a big, and I mean Big, holiday in Austria.

It is on the 15^th day of August that the Roman Catholic Church (among others) celebrates the Ascension of Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, and with this, the Mother of God, into the Kingdom of Heaven.

In the 5^th century A.D. It was Cyrill of Alexandria who determined this date but it was not until the year 1950 that Pope Pius XII spoke these words:

“By the authority of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed Dogma, that the immaculate mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly Glory.”

Keep in mind the key words: “divinely revealed Dogma.” This means, if I understand this phrase correctly, it was announced by God and is therefore 'incontrovertibly true.'

It is the fervent and unshakable belief of this congregation that Mary, after her death, was buried in a stone grave and when this grave was opened a few days after her burial, the body of Mary was gone and only her garments were left.

Legend also has it, that Thomas ( later St. Thomas ) was late coming to Mary's burial. Therefore the stone grave was opened so that he ( doubting Thomas) could be convinced of Mary's death.

In fact, and this is where the story gets truly funny, Mary is said to have unfastened her girdle and dropped it down, while she was on her way up to Heaven, so that Thomas could have absolute proof of Mary's ascension.

This “original girdle” is now a relic belonging to the Prato Cathedral in Tuscany.

There are other, “original, genuine” girdles claimed to be in possession of other churches, such as Westminster Abbey.

This multiplicity of “truly original girdles” is not enough ! There are also “tertiary girdles” which are girdles or belts, which had touched the original genuine girdle, which Mary had dropped from the sky to Thomas.

There is, in fact, some argument, whether Mary's ascension was before or after her death.

It must be admitted that the wonderful fairy tale of the girdle-dropping is not part of the Dogma of Mary's ascension. The ascension story is a fairy tale all of its own.

One truly has to wonder to what extent the Roman Catholic Church ( and other churches ) will dream up Fairy Tales which then can be embellished ad nauseam.

Bertstravels'

astonishment has no end.

The little church of Einersdorf, just a few kilometers from Bleiburg

celebrated "Maria Himmelfahrt" ( Mary's Ascension ).

Believers came from near and far to attend a special Mass.

The Mass is celebrated by Monsignor Olip

After the Monsignor had celebrated Mass

visitors consumed liquid and solid refreshments, also en Mass.

Justifiably famous Sugar Baker ( Konditor ) Stöckl

offered for sale great amounts of sweets and Honey wine ( Met )

while other purveyors provided "Wienerschnitzel" and 

other local foods.

It can therefore be said, without much fear of contradiction, 

that the population received everything necessary for

Body and Soul.