St. Mary Magdalen

St. Mary Magdalen was a friend and devoted follower of Jesus out of whom He exorcised seven demons. Mary Magdalene has a special place among Jesus’ disciples and is mentioned several times in the Gospels. She stood at the foot of the Cross with St. John and the Blessed Mother, and the next morning went to Christ's tomb to anoint his body. As a reward for her great love and faithfulness, she is the first recorded witness of Jesus' Resurrection. It was Mary Magdalene who informed the twelve Apostles that Jesus rose from the dead, and for this she is called “Apostle to the Apostles.” After Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, Mary Magdalene continued her mission as an evangelist, contemplative, and mystic in the heart of the Church. According to the Eastern tradition, she went to Ephesus with the Virgin Mary and died there. According to the Western tradition, she was exiled from Israel and shipped out to sea, landing in Marseilles, France. Mary Magdalene evangelized and converted the Provence region, and lived in a cave doing penance for thirty years until her death. St. Mary Magdalene is the patron of women, contemplatives, converts, pharmacists, perfumers, and hairstylists. Her feast day is July 22nd.