Preparing for Christmas With Mary: Entering Into Denver’s Days of Prayer
- Denver Catholic Staff
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
Every Advent, the Church invites us to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ at Christmas. And here in the Archdiocese of Denver, we are blessed with a uniquely beautiful way to do that: the Days of Prayer to Mary, a local tradition that places a week of intentional Marian devotion between two of December’s greatest feasts.
A Week Framed by Mary
December is full of Mary’s radiant presence. We begin the Days of Prayer to Mary with the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8 — the patronal feast of the United States and of our own Cathedral Basilica, and a Holy Day of Obligation! Then follows the optional memorial of St. Juan Diego, the Marian apostle to whom Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared in the sixteenth century. After that is the optional memorial of Our Lady of Loreto on Dec. 10, the beloved patroness of the parish in Foxfield.
Just a couple of days later comes the joyful celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12, whose apparition at Tepeyac continues to anchor devotion across the Americas. She is honored as patroness of our region, including the Archdiocese of Denver and the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, embracing Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona.
Finally, unique among dioceses, the archdiocese closes this Marian arc with the Memorial of Our Lady of the New Advent on Dec. 16 — a liturgical celebration found only here, reflecting our local devotion to Mary as the one who carried the Incarnate Word into the world.
Placed together, these feasts create a natural pathway of prayer, a Marian corridor through which the faithful can walk toward Christmas.
A Tradition Rooted in Northern Colorado
While Catholic dioceses around the world honor Mary throughout the year, the Archdiocese of Denver has, for decades, set aside the days from the Immaculate Conception through Our Lady of Guadalupe as the Days of Prayer to Mary. Archdiocesan records document the practice as early as 1984, when local leaders began inviting the faithful to embrace these days not simply as feasts to observe, but as a spiritual preparation for the birth of Christ.
The intention is simple and profoundly Catholic: draw close to the Mother to draw closer to the Son.
How to Enter In
Participating in the Days of Prayer doesn’t require a formal program or special event. It simply calls for a concrete act of devotion, freely chosen, offered with love.
Here are a few ways individuals and families can join the archdiocese in prayer:
Pray a Hail Mary each day of the week.
Pray a Rosary or even a single decade during a quiet moment.
Offer a Marian novena, such as the Immaculate Conception or Our Lady of Guadalupe novena.
Attend an extra daily Mass or two during the week.
Make a small sacrifice or act of charity in Mary’s honor.
Spend a few minutes in silent prayer, asking Mary to prepare your heart for Jesus.
However you choose to participate, the goal is the same: to let Mary’s maternal closeness guide your Advent journey.
Mary, Our Advent Companion
Mary is the first disciple, the one who waited, pondered, trusted and welcomed Christ with her whole heart. When we enter the Days of Prayer to Mary, we walk with her through the mysteries of salvation, allowing her to help us anticipate the joy of Christmas with faith and tenderness.
This December, consider setting aside time for this unique archdiocesan tradition. Whether through a quiet Rosary, a simple prayer, or an extra Mass, let Mary lead you to her Son.
Mary, Mother of the Redeemer, pray for us!
