St. Michael doesn’t appear often, but when he does, we celebrate.
The Feast of the Apparition of St. Michael is celebrated on May 8th (it fell on a Sunday this year—yesterday). This feast day commemorates the 5th-century appearance of the Archangel in Monte Gargano, Italy, near a cave now known as the Sanctuary of St. Michael.
Entrance to the Sanctuary of St. Michael (photo: Mboesch/CC BY-SA 4.0)
The May 8th feast was established in particular to commemorate a victory won by St. Michael: he saved the people of that region from an invading enemy on that day (some say this happened at the same time as the initial apparitions, some say a couple centuries later). The feast marks both that event and all his apparitions at Monte Gargano. Read the full story of the cave of St. Michael, the apparitions, and the origin of the May 8th date here.
While the feast of the Apparition of St. Michael is no longer universally celebrated, we can still honor and celebrate St. Michael on this day—and every day! With such a spiritual war going on all around us, we need to have the Prince of the Heavenly Host on our side. So pray to him daily, and he’ll intercede for you in your own spiritual battles!
You can remind yourself of St. Michael’s presence with a beautifully-crafted statue of the Archangel. Our bestselling St. Michael Bronze Finish Statue features a powerful rendition of St. Michael vanquishing Satan, who writhes under his feet. Finished with a majestic bronze tone, this statue stands 8” high and is a perfect addition to a prayer space or bookshelf. Makes a great Confirmation or Father’s Day gift. Order yours today!
