Free Republic

December 8th is the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.It celebrates an important point of Catholic teaching, and in most years it is a holy day of obligation.Here are 8 things you need to know about the teaching and the way we celebrate it. 1. Who does the Immaculate Conception refer to? There’s a popular idea that it refers to Jesus’ conception by the Virgin Mary.It doesn’t.Instead, it refers to the special way in which the Virgin Mary herself was conceived.This conception was not virginal. (That is, she had a human father as well as a human mother.) But it was special...

First Lady Dazzles In Blue Gown At State Dinner [Pic in URL] Michelle Obama’s dress has one-shoulder silhouette, fully-boned corset President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk out to welcome Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his wife Margarita Zavala to the state dinner at the North Portico of the White House. May 19, 2010 Michelle Obama chose a shimmery blue gown for the state dinner Wednesday night honoring Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his wife, Margarita Zavala. It had a one-shoulder silhouette, similar to the one Mrs. Obama wore to her husband's inaugural balls. The dress was by...