Why do Catholics believe that the Blessed Virgin Mary was assumed into heaven, body and soul?

If Jesus ascended into heaven, he would want his mother to be with him, said Father Michael Van Sloan, director of clergy personnel for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. “And … it’s been a belief of our Catholic tradition ever since the very beginning, from the first century of our faith, that Mary was assumed body and soul at the end of her life here on Earth to be with her son in heaven,” he said.

Father Michael Van Sloun

Father Van Sloan recently joined “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley to discuss the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Aug. 15. Because it falls on a Monday this year, the feast commutes to the Sunday before, he said, meaning it is not a holy day of obligation.

But many parishes will also celebrate an Aug. 15 Mass so people who would like to celebrate the solemnity can do so, Father Van Sloan said. While optional, the faithful are encouraged to attend, he said.

One of the greatest differences celebrating the Assumption can make in one’s life is that “it gives us hope,” Father Van Sloun said. “Jesus ascends to heaven; we want to go where he’s gone,” he said. “Mary’s gone to heaven. She was the greatest of all disciples, and if we’re going to be faithful disciples, we hope to go where she has gone, to join her and her son in heaven for all eternity.”

Father Van Sloun said that when he wants to turn to the Blessed Mother in prayer, he likes to say the rosary, often the scriptural rosary, which includes a Scripture verse with each Hail Mary. In an encyclical on the rosary, St. John Paul II recommended using it to meditate on the life of Christ as the faithful try to reach Mary, he said. “It’s been very rich for me,” Father Van Sloun said.

When Father Van Sloun prays to or through Mary’s intercession, “we believe she’s at Jesus’ right hand, and she is the intercessor par excellence, the greatest of all intercessors in terms of taking our prayers to Jesus,” he said.

So did Mary die, was she alive, was she sleeping when she was assumed into heaven? To hear Father Van Sloun’s response, and to hear the complete interview, tune in to the 9 p.m. Aug. 12 “Practicing Catholic” show, which repeats at 1 p.m. Aug. 13 and 2 p.m. Aug. 14 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.

Read “Faith Fundamentals” columns by Father Van Sloun in The Catholic Spirit

Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Father Tom Margevicius, director of worship for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who discusses the creed and the universal prayer or prayer of the faithful on the segment titled “Mass Class;” and Maria Wiering, editor in chief of The Catholic Spirit, who discusses the archdiocese’s official newspaper’s publications, social media presence and staff members’ contributions.

Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at https://anchor.fm/practicing-catholic-show.