Saint Mary Magdalene is the patron saint of Arahal, Spain, the contemplative life (monks), converts, glove makers, hairdressers, of people ridiculed for their piety, and women et. al. Her Feast Day is 22 July. She is venerated in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Orthodox churches as well as among the Baha’i.
Mary M. is known as the “Apostle to the Apostles” because she was the first person to discover the resurrection of Christ from the tomb. When she told the male apostles they did not believe her until they went to see the empty tomb for themselves.
She apparently had a reputation for being determined and outspoken yet loving and gentle. The Gnostic Gospels speak of her as having been the wife of Jesus although this idea is not accepted by mainstream churches today. However, there are a few points to consider in this matter. Firstly, the New Testament tells us Jesus was fully God and fully man. If he was fully man then why would he not have the same desires of any man and wish to marry? Also, Jesus is the central figure at the Wedding in Cana and when the guests run out of wine Mary, the mother of Jesus, goes to Jesus imploring him to get more wine. This duty is typically reserved for the groom so if Jesus was not the groom then why was he responsible for providing the wine for the wedding feast? We will never know if Jesus was married to Mary M but the Gnostic Gospels do have some merit.
The Roman Catholic Church historically portrayed Mary M. as a prostitute but they have since changed their position in modern times. We do know that she was the Mary who was healed of seven “demons” by Jesus and that she became his devote disciple thereafter. We also know that she supported Jesus’ ministry out of her own funds, so she must have had some money. She came from a fishing village on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee known as Magdala.
We have chosen Mary Magdalene as one of our Holy Order’s patron saints because of her devotion to Jesus and because she is a model of Biblical womanhood.
Holy Order of San Sebastian and Mary Magdalene 