We read a great deal about St. Mary Magdalene in the Gospels. After Jesus casts out seven demons from her and she is cleansed from her sin, she eagerly follows Him. She becomes one of His most faithful disciples and among those who minister to Him. She is the first witness of the Resurrection, the risen Lord entrusting her with the task of announcing the good news to His Apostles.
St. Mary Magdalene kneels in Gerard David’s depiction of the Crucifixion
But what did she do after Jesus ascended into heaven?
Tradition says that St. Mary Magdalene preached the Gospels and encouraged pagans to stop worshiping idols. She continued Jesus’ work of converting hearts and bringing souls towards heaven.
After her time preaching and converting, some traditions say she retired to Ephesus with the Blessed Mother and spent the rest of her days living in solitude.
Other traditions say she lived in France as a hermit after preaching. There is even a church located where she was thought to have lived for thirty years. This is where some of her relics are kept.
Although it’s not certain where she retired, most traditions hold that she lived in solitude in the wilderness or the mountains and gave herself up to penance until her death.
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