What is a Parish Feast Day ?
The richness of our Catholic faith believes in the intercession of saints. The patron saint of a particular group of people is a saint who has special affinity to that group, and whose attributes speaks to its members. Some consider asking a saint for intercession, rather than expecting to be answered themselves, as an act displaying humility, calling to mind what is written in the Book of Job 42:8.
Our Feast Day is celebrated on May 31. The Feast is of medieval origin and was only universally adopted in 1389. In 1969, Pope Paul VI moved the celebration to May 31, between the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord and that of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, "so that it would harmonize better with the Gospel story".
The Visitation is the encounter of the Virgin Mary and Elizabeth as recorded in the Gospel of Luke 1:39-56. Mary, having heard at the Annunciation thru the angel Gabriel that Elizabeth was six months pregnant, left her home to visit her. Elizabeth and John the Baptist were inspired by the Holy Spirit at her arrival; and Elizabeth, seeing Mary’s faithfulness, cared for her giving her the opportunity to nourish the gift of life, Jesus, within her. Mary, surrounded by Elizabeth’s love, pronounced the "Magnificat". It is the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, with the Spiritual Fruit of a Love of Neighbour.
Thus as a parish community dedicated to Mary, under the title of Our Lady of the Visitation, this Feast reminds us of our call to love our neighbour, to be welcoming and to provide a place for others to grow nourishing the Lord within them.