This is one of the most disheartening experiences of my life.
Mary Magdalene is described as "most loved", and the "apostle of the apostles"! She is with Jesus at the two most important times. It is Mary Magdalene that stays at the cross after others have fled and it is she who discovers Jesus is missing from the tomb! Mary is the first to realize his body was missing from the tomb, and was the first person to whom the resurrected Christ appears!
Within the four Gospels, the oldest historical record mentioning her name, she is named at least 12 times, more than most of the apostles. The Gospel references describe her as a courageous, brave enough to stand by Jesus in his hours of suffering, death and beyond.