Protestant churches teach that in these verses Jesus is providing provision for his widowed mother, as afterward she lived as part of St. John's household. The Catholic Church teaches this and more. The Catholic Church teaches that as St. John was the only apostle present he represents the church. Apparitions of Mary were reported as early as 42 A.D. when Mary appeared to St. James in Spain. Some 20,000 appearances of Mary have been reported since then.
Marian apparitions appear to instruct, encourage, or give warnings.
The rosary , a prayer and meditation discipline, was given to us by Mary. Also, the scapular , a means of offering devotion and remembrance of our Mother's graces through a simple adornment, was given to us by Mary. Devotion to Mary as Mother of the Church has always been important to some. The web site Mary's Gardens describes how families in medieval times used whatever means they had to teach about the Trinity and Mary. St. Catherine Laboure saw three apparitions of Mary there.