Saints
M

Saint · Apostolic age

Saint Mary Magdalene

“Apostle to the apostles”

Period
1st century
Feast day
22 July
Associated region
Magdala, Galilee

Follower of Jesus and, in the Gospels, the first witness of the resurrection.

Key timeline

View full timeline (4)
  1. 1st centuryNew Testament account

    Follower of Jesus

  2. 1st centuryNew Testament account

    Witness of the resurrection

  3. 591

    Western conflation

    A sermon of Gregory the Great identifies her with the sinful woman of Luke 7.

Luke names her among women who supported Jesus’ ministry. All four Gospels place her at the crucifixion or the empty tomb; John and Mark describe her as the first to see the risen Jesus.

Principal written sources

  • Gospels (especially Luke 8 and John 20)

Full timeline

  1. 1st centuryNew Testament account

    Follower of Jesus

  2. 1st centuryNew Testament account

    Witness of the resurrection

  3. 591

    Western conflation

    A sermon of Gregory the Great identifies her with the sinful woman of Luke 7.

  4. 2016

    Feast raised in the Roman calendar

Her patronage of penitents rests on the later Western conflation. The Catholic Church raised her memorial to a feast in 2016, calling her “apostle of the apostles”.

Feast day
  • 22 July
Venerated in (starting dataset)
Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran.
Patronage and roles (starting dataset)
Penitents, Converts, 'Apostle to the Apostles'
Places
Magdala · Jerusalem

Accounts in the starting dataset

The source workbook lists these under “Confirmed Miracle / Key Event”. The Atlas does not treat them as confirmed: each is labelled by the kind of evidence behind it.

  • New Testament accountNew Testament account

    “Exorcism of seven demons by Jesus Christ (Luke 8:2)”

    Luke 8:2.

  • New Testament accountNew Testament account

    “First witness to the Risen Christ receiving the Resurrection appearance”

    John 20:11–18; Mark 16:9.

About the image · Editorial design

Editorial initial. No likeness of Mary Magdalene survives.

Editorial status

Editorial draft. Built from the starting workbook with editorial corrections and framing. It has not yet been checked against independent sources.

References

  • Workbook linkNot yet checked

    britannica.com

    Link supplied in the source workbook (“Top 100 Saints”, row 13). It has not been checked to confirm that it supports every claim in that row.

Original workbook record

Imported unchanged from “Top 100 Saints”, row 13. Values here are the starting dataset, not verified facts; where the Atlas differs, the reason is noted below.

#
5
Saint / Title
Saint Mary Magdalene
Primary Traditions Veneration
Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran
Feast Day(s)
July 22
Era / Lived
1st Century AD
Origin / Region
Magdala, Judea
Patronage & Major Roles
Penitents, Converts, 'Apostle to the Apostles'
Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 1
Exorcism of seven demons by Jesus Christ (Luke 8:2)
Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 2
First witness to the Risen Christ receiving the Resurrection appearance
Key Contribution / Historical Significance
First witness to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ; key disciple in the Gospels.
Reference Link
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Mary-Magdalene

Editorial notes on this record

  • Patronage & Major Roles: “Penitents” patronage derives from the 6th-century conflation, not the Gospels.