mater dolorosa

[ mah-ter doh-loh-roh-sah; English mey-ter doh-luh-roh-suh ]

noun

, Latin.

1. the sorrowful mother.
2. (initial capital letters) the mother of Christ sorrowing for her son.

mater dolorosa

/ ˈmɑːtə ˌdɒləˈrəʊsə /

noun

1. the Virgin Mary sorrowing for the dead Christ, esp as depicted in art

Word History and Origins

Origin of mater dolorosa¹

Latin: sorrowful mother

Example Sentences

And for centuries, composers from Palestrina to Arvo Pärt have trod this path musically, through settings of the Passion narratives, Christ’s final words and the anonymous 13th-century poem “Stabat mater dolorosa,” which meditates on the suffering of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as she stands at the cross.

From New York Times

Invitations sent out months ago were for a Saturday night wedding at the Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church, followed by a reception at the art-deco-style restaurant at the city’s Lakefront Airport.

From Washington Times

Graham’s role as Mary combined the Virgin Mother, the Magdalene and the Mater Dolorosa who laments her dead son.

From New York Times

Her mother, in Cruz’s hands, and in the teary glare of her eyes, is transformed into a mater dolorosa, and her pain appears to be harshened, not soothed, by the arrival of her husband from Argentina.

From The New Yorker

Sphinx-like, unsmiling and with mater dolorosa makeup, she presented herself as both a victim and a person of great power, and though she spoke plainly enough, it was with the mysterious air of one forced to communicate in riddles.

From The Guardian