The Life of the Virgin Mary is the eighth volume of the long-awaited New Light on the Visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich series. Following an initial overview, the first part the visionary presents Mary’s parents Anne and Joachim, entering into considerable detail about their Essene ancestors on Mount Horeb, closing with the immaculate conception (under the golden gate). Part two covers Mary’s birth (including its effects in many places), presentation, life in the Temple, and wedding. Part three provides intimate details of the annunciation, visitation, journey to Bethlehem, the caves (cave of the nativity and the milk cave), the nativity, and the adoration of the shepherds. Part four focuses on the Mary’s relationship with Elizabeth, the arrival of the three kings, the purification, flight into Egypt, life in Egypt, and return. Part 5 describes Mary’s latter years and death and assumption at Ephesus. Finally, part 6 offers visionary insights into Mary as mystical Virgin.

Anne Catherine Emmerich was born on September 8, 1774, at Flamske, Germany. From early childhood she was blessed with the gift of spiritual sight and lived almost constantly in inner vision of scenes of the Old and New Testaments. Later, her visions became concerned primarily with the life of Jesus Christ, although they encompassed also the lives of many saints and other personages (some unknown to history) as well as far-reaching insights into many other mysteries. In 2004 she was beatified by Pope John Paul II.

This series supplements an earlier Angelico publication: The Visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich, Books I-III. In 2009 the original notes of Anne Catherine’s visions (in 38 notebooks) became for the first time available for reference, and the present series incorporates much new material translated therefrom. With regard to both individuals and themes, every reference thus far located in the notes and in prior translations have been woven together, so the reader can find in one place almost all of what Anne Catherine had to say on each topic.

As regards the series as a whole, virtually every individual in the biblical visions (approximately 250 in total) is referenced in the five People of the New Testament volumes. The Life of the Virgin Mary is dedicated to Mary (and her Essene ancestry), and Scenes from the Lives of the Saints treats of fifty-nine saints. The present volume forms a set with Mysteries of the Old Testament and two further volumes cover a multitude of separate themes: Inner Life and Worlds of Soul & Spirit and Spiritual Works and Journeys. The final volume is The Life of Anne Catherine Emmerich.