The feast celebrates three-year old Mary being dedicated to God as a consecrated virgin at the Temple in Jerusalem. It signifies her total devotion to God, anticipated by her Immaculate Conception (the Roman Catholic dogma asserting that Mary was preserved free from the effects of original sin from the first instant of her conception), and her future role as the sacred vessel for the Incarnation.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style