The Apostles, with the exception of Saint James who had died, and of Saint Thomas who was brought later, were miraculously transported from the parts of the world where they were preaching to attend the death of Our Lady in Jerusalem, when She gave up Her immaculate and spotless soul to God.
Saint Timothy, Saint Denis the Areopagite and Saint Hierotheus, his friend, were also brought miraculously to Our Lady's bedside. Jesus Himself came down from Heaven to assist at Our Lady's death. Just before Mary died, Jesus gave Her the Blessed Eucharist, the Body and Blood which She had given to Him when She conceived Him at Nazareth.
Our Lady was buried reverently by the Apostles at the foot of the Mount of Olives, just below the place where Our Lord had sweat blood on the eve of His passion. It was not far from the grave where Saint Lazarus had been buried and raised from the dead by Jesus.
Mary's soul, during the interval when Her virginal body lay dead, was able to visit the souls in Purgatory so as to comfort and to release them, just as Our Lord's soul, during the three days He lay dead, went to comfort the souls in the Limbo of the Just. Our Lady was seventy-two years old when she died.
Where is this description from?
Interesting.
Thank you.
This tells us that, according to Tradition, Mary died a natural death. But it does not close the loop for me and answer why (or if) she HAD to.
Immaculately conceived and living a stainless life, she would seem to not have been under the curse of Adam, and therefore to be immortal like Adam and Eve were before the Fall.
I guess the answer really must be that, if she died, it was because she chose to "fall asleep in the Lord" and go to her Son. I would presume that Tradition would somewhere say that.