Saint of the Day, July 22

Saint Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons, followed him from Galilee, stood with the Virgin at the foot of the Cross, and was the first witness of the resurrection. To her, weeping at the empty tomb on Easter morning, the risen Christ appeared and said simply, 'Mary'; and he sent her to the apostles with the announcement of his rising — for which the Fathers gave her the title Apostola Apostolorum, 'Apostle to the Apostles.' Pope Francis raised her commemoration to the rank of feast in 2016, on equal footing with the other apostles.