Mary is referred to as Elizabeth's cousin in the Gospel of Luke. It is unclear whether the women were first cousins or more distant relatives, as the Bible simply refers to them as cousins. Elizabeth was also the mother of John the Baptist.
Elizabeth was married to Zachariah, a Jewish priest. Elizabeth believed she could not have children, but one day the archangel Gabriel told her in a dream that she would become pregnant. Elizabeth had passed menopause when she gave birth to her son John. The Catholic Church recognizes the feast day of Saint Elizabeth every year on Nov. 5.
