Why was Mary Magdalene Important?

Western church tradition has identified her both as the sinful woman who anoints Jesus’ feet in Luke 7:37-38 and as Mary, the sister of Martha, who anoints Jesus in John 12:3. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, however, there continues to be a distinction between these three figures.

In the Roman Catholic tradition Mary Magdalene’s feast day is July 22 and she is regarded as a saint representing the important principle of pentitence. Visual representations typically portray her as the pentitent sinner, washing Jesus’ feet.