Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

The Virgin Mary entered the Temple of Jerusalem a third time, to serve God as a Temple Virgin, on the same 

month and day when she was created by God within the Temple. 

    Blessed Anne  Catherine gives the Virgin Mary's age at her entrance into the Temple, on November 8, as 

three years and three months old. Yet Blessed Anne Catherine thought that the Virgin Mary was born on 

September 8. Here is an indication that the information given by her comes from God, not merely from her 

own mind. For even though she did not know that the Virgin Mary was born on August 5, she was able to 

correctly state her age at her entrance into the Temple, 3 years and 3 months later, on November 8. Thus the 

year of Mary's entrance into the service of God at the Temple of Jerusalem was 27 

B.C.

 3 years, 3 months, 

and 3 days after her birth on August 5 of 30 

B.C.

, and 4 years to the day after her Immaculate Conception on 

November 8 of 31 

B.C.

 (Since Mary was born about midnight at the start of August 5, and entered the Temple 

sometime during the day on November 8, the exact length of time would be some number of hours greater 

than 3 years, 3 months, and 3 days.) 

    Since the Virgin Mary entered the Temple at the age of 3 years and 3 months, and left the Temple to be 

betrothed to Saint Joseph when she was a few months past 14 years of age, she must have been in the service 

of God at the Temple for about 11 years. The Virgin Mary was betrothed to Saint Joseph not long after leaving 

the Temple (she was dismissed from the Temple for that purpose).

555

 Their betrothal ceremony occurred in late 

January.

556

 The Virgin Mary's dismissal from the Temple most likely occurred in November, when new 

Temple virgins were admitted to the service of the Temple (see chapter 5,  The Betrothal of Joseph and 

Mary,  for more on this point). 

    Blessed Anne Catherine states that the Virgin Mary entered the Temple  eleven years before Christ's 

Birth, 

557

 but this cannot be correct. The Virgin Mary entered the Temple when she was 3 years and 3 months 

old, and was dismissed from the Temple when she was over 14 years of age, a total of about 11 years. The 

Incarnation of Jesus Christ occurred in February, after the betrothal of Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary, and 

the Birth of Christ occurred in November, nine months later. Therefore, Christ was born just over 12 years 

after the Virgin Mary entered the Temple, not 11. 

    Blessed Anne Catherine also said that the Virgin Mary's entrance into the Temple occurred 15 years before 

the Birth of Christ, and 2 years after the work rebuilding the Temple began.

558

 This could not possibly refer to 

Mary's entrance as one of the Temple virgins when she was about 3 years old.

559

 She gives the age of Mary at 

the Incarnation of Christ as just over 14 years of age (counting from birth).

560

 The Virgin Mary was just over 15 

years old (counting from her birth) at the time of Christ's Birth, not 18 years of age (15 + 3). Therefore, the 

entrance of the Virgin Mary into the Temple, 15 years before the Birth of Jesus (15 

B.C.

), must instead have 

occurred during the year of Mary's Birth (30 

B.C.

). That year, the Virgin Mary entered the Temple of 

Jerusalem at the time of her Presentation, that is, at the time for the Purification of Saint Ann on the 80th day 

from Mary's Birth. The rebuilding of the Temple of Jerusalem began in spring of 32 

B.C.

, which was 2 

calendar years prior to the Virgin Mary's Entrance into the Temple at St. Ann's Presentation in 30 

B.C.

 By 30 

B.C.

, the rebuilding of the Temple Sanctuary had been completed (in Nov. of 31 

B.C.

, the time of the 

Immaculate Conception), but work on the other areas of the Temple still continued. Thus the Entrance of the 

Virgin Mary into the Temple (at St. Ann's Presentation) did occur about 2 years after the work rebuilding the 

Temple had begun and about 15 years prior to the Birth of Christ. 

     In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin 

betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.  (Lk 

1:26 27). 

    Sacred Scripture calls Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, a virgin because she was truly, fully, and perfectly a 

Virgin throughout her entire life, from her Immaculate Conception to her Assumption into Heaven. But there 

is a second, lesser meaning when Sacred Scripture calls Mary a virgin. The meaning is also that Mary was a 

Virgin of the Temple of Jerusalem, so that she had the title of Virgin, even among the Jews. Christians 

throughout the history of the Church have spoken of Mary as a Virgin, not merely as a description of her life, 

but also as a most fitting title:  Blessed Virgin Mary.  But because Mary was one of the Temple Virgins when 

she was a child, she had the title of  Virgin of the Temple,  even before Christians called her by the title 

 Virgin.  

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