Seeking the Resurrection | Why We’re Named after St. Mary Magdalene

I’ve had a few people reach out over the years since Magdala’s founding to offer (charitable!) corrections or criticism of our organization's name or articulate their curiosity at why we chose Mary Magdalene as our patroness. Some have cited the concern that we maybe chose Mary Magdalene because we believe she was a prostitute—a stance that has been regularly debunked in Catholic tradition (though arguably can never be completely verified). 

In the spirit of clarity, I wanted to share on behalf of our community exactly why we named our apostolate after this integral disciple of Christ. If you’re curious and want to learn more about the different stances on Mary Magdalene within Catholic tradition, I encourage you to listen to our podcast episode with Joan Watson.

Historical Development

We do not hold the stance that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, or that she is directly associated with sexual promiscuity. There is a great deal of evidence that this tradition developed out of many sources, including a homily by Pope St. Gregory the Great in the sixth century that involved Biblical exegesis questioning whether Mary Magdalene was also the “sinful woman” featured in Luke 7:36-50. She has also been tied to the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11, a view which is depicted in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of Christ. 

Conversely, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, have also been represented as the same person—a view also first proliferated by the exegesis of Gregory the Great. Other scholars, especially in the Eastern tradition, have disagreed and kept all three women—Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the sinful woman of Luke 7—separate.

What We Do Know

In the midst of all of this confusion about Mary Magdalene’s identity, it’s important to depend on what’s clear about her in the Gospels, and what the Church has assigned to her patronage—which is what our apostolate was inspired by. 

In the Gospels, Mary Magdalene is described as having been exorcized of seven demons (Luke 8:2, Mark 16:9). Gregory the Great interpreted these as the seven deadly sins, and it’s worth noting lust is one of them. She is also known to have accompanied Jesus as a disciple along with other women and is cited as being a witness to the Crucifixion (Mark 15:40). 

Most importantly, Mary Magdalene is depicted as the first witness to the Resurrection in the Gospel of John. Many Catholics hold that Jesus appeared to His Blessed Mother first, but this belief is solely from tradition and not cited in any of the Gospels. In John 20, Mary approaches the tomb early in the morning, and after seeing the tomb empty, alerts Peter and John, who come to see the empty tomb. Once they leave, she remains weeping and heartbroken. The Risen Lord appears to her and sends her to proclaim the news, which she does joyfully, exclaiming “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:17)

Because of her story in the Gospels, St. Mary Magdalene has been held as a patroness of women in general, but also specifically of repentant sinners. Some sources do attribute sexual temptation as one of her patronages, as well.

Name the Vision, Not the Sin

Magdala is named after Mary Magdalene not because of a belief that she was sexually promiscuous, but because of her incredible transformation: she went from a life claimed by the demonic to being the first witness of the Resurrection of Jesus. The belief that this is possible for every sinner is what drove us to choose her as our patroness. Her vulnerable intimacy with Jesus—particularly depicted in the Resurrection scene in John’s Gospel—is the intimacy we believe every woman in our community is made for. 

When you’re naming a mission or apostolate, you name it after the goal, not the problem you’re treating or the sin you’re addressing. Our apostolate is named Magdala because the heart of Mary Magdalene—a brave, humble, intimate, and distinctly feminine disciple—is the heart we long for in ourselves, and in every woman we serve. We are ultimately an apostolate focused on healing, not on ruminating on sin. Mary Magdalene, who left behind a possessed, sinful life, is the perfect example of this journey.

St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us.