While not featured on the General Calendar, the feast of Our Lady of Palestine was established in 1927 by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem at the time. It is a day each year when the local Church invokes the heavenly aid of Our Lady over the land where she lived.
After World War I, the United Kingdom had governance over the region, which was called Palestine. This refers to the entire Holy Land, and not one specific part of it.
Initially this feast was celebrated on August 15, but after Vatican II, it was moved to October 25. It is also a feast that is typically moved to the nearest Sunday.
Larry Peterson explains in an article for Aleteia how there exists a shrine to Our Lady of Palestine in the Holy Land:
The Shrine of Our Lady of Palestine is located midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, in the Soreq Valley. The front of the church has an inscription on it that reads “Reginae Palaestinae” (the Queen of Palestine). A statue of the Virgin Mary, stretching six meters (almost 20 feet) high, stands atop the church, looking out across the landscape. It represents Our Lady of Palestine watching over the Holy Land.
Reconsecrated in 2023
In 2023, the Holy Land was reconsecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on the feast of Our Lady of Palestine.
As VaticanNews explained, "He prayed that she might watch over those who suffer, flee from bombardments, or have lost family members in the war."
Furthermore, Pizzaballa prayed, “We now knock on the door of your heart...We are your beloved children. We are confident that, in the most troubled moments of our history, you will not be deaf to our supplication and will come to our aid.”
The Holy Land continues to be in need of prayers and the heavenly intercession of the Virgin Mary, the true Queen of Palestine.
