The following is the text of the video message sent by the Holy Father Francis to the faithful for the end of the National Marian Year, called by the Argentine Episcopal Conference to commemorate 500 years since the first Mass celebrated in the territory and 400 years since the arrival of the image of the Virgin of the Valley in the province of Catamarca, venerated throughout the country:

Video Message of the Holy Father

The National Marian Year comes to an end today. A year in which, with the restrictions typical of this time of the pandemic, we have followed so many activities in remembrance and in honour of the Virgin, our Mother.

I join all the faithful who today celebrate the end of this National Marian Year.

I pray for you and ask you to pray for me. And do not forget that Mary is a mother and a disciple. She is the Mother of Jesus; she is the one who brought Jesus into the world. And she is a disciple. She is the first to follow Jesus, to do what Jesus says, to obey.

May the figure of Mary, Mother and disciple, accompany us in our daily lives.

I ask you to pray for me. I do it for you. And may God bless you: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.