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The Dedication of August to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The main Marian feast during August is the Assumption of Our Lady to heaven, so why is the month dedicated to her Immaculate Heart? Pope Pius XII had a devotion to Our Lady of Fatima which grew stronger as the Second World War broke out. In response to a request from Our Lady of Fatima, Pope Pius consecrated the world to her Immaculate Heart and in 1944 established the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the 22nd August, eight days after celebrating her Assumption. Her intercession for peace among nations, freedom for the Church, the conversion of sinners, the love of purity and the practice of virtue was sought. Later Pope Paul VI decided to switch the feasts of Our Lady’s Queenship and Immaculate Heart. The feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was brought closer to the feast of the Sacred Heart and is now celebrated on the Saturday after the feast of the Sacred Heart and the Queenship Of Mary celebrated on the 22nd August. The month of August however, retained the dedication to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.