The month of May brings a common devotion close to the hearts of many Catholics: the May Crowning. It dates back to the early Church and continues today.
A History of Making Mary Queen
Statues wearing crowns of flowers stretch back to the early fifth century with the Council of Ephesus. It portrays Mary as Queen and Empress seated upon a royal throne adorned with royal insignia, crowned with the royal diadem and surrounded by the host of angels and saints in heaven.
By the 16th century “the practice of crowning images of the Blessed Virgin became extensive to emphasize Her as the Mother of the Son of God.” (Ad Caeli Reginam -Proclaiming the Queenship of Mary.)
How to Make Mary Queen of Your Life
Numerous saints calling on the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary find their troubles eased or solved.
St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta taught her Missionaries of Charity nuns a simple prayer:
“If you ever feel distressed during your day, call upon Our Lady, just say this simple prayer: “Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.’
I must admit, this prayer has never failed me.”
Praying for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary takes on special significance in May.
The History of May Crownings
The present form of May Crownings started with a Jesuit priest , Father Latomia of the Roman College of the Society of Jesus.
In great distress over the infidelity and immorality of students he made a vow to devote the month of May to Mary, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia,
In 18th century Rome, this practice spread to other Jesuit colleges and almost every other Catholic Church in the world.
Making Mary Queen of our Hearts
Dedicating an entire month to Mary isn’t a new tradition:
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- A 30 day devotion to Mary called Tricesimum, which was also known as “Lady Month.”
- In 1601, Pope Clement VIII approved the use of The Litany of Loreto –commonly used for Marian May Crownings.
- Pope Pius VII in 1815 encouraged all the faithful of the Catholic world, either in public or in private, to honor the Blessed Virgin with some special homage or devout prayers, or other virtuous practices.
- In 1945, Pope Pius XII solidified May as a Marian month after establishing the feast of the Queenship of Mary on May 31st. After the Second Vatican Council, this feast was moved to August 22, while May 31st became the feast of the Visitation of Mary
It’s easy to live these traditions even today with the popular May Crowning.
How to Live The Month of May
The month of May’s abundant traditions for the Blessed Virgin Mary includes traditional hymns, litanies, and flower crowns.
Such devotion calls us to remember the doctrines of the Catholic Church of Mary as the Mother of God, as the Immaculate Conception, and others.
As Catholics, this honor gives tribute to God for sending us His Son born of a Virgin.
How to do Your Own May Crowning
Even if your parish does a May Crowning, there are easy ways to do your own at home as well.
Some quick ways to bring the Month of May into your home include:
- Download our free Ave Maria Bunting to place near your Mary statue or home altar here:
- Learn how to make an easy flower crown here or here.
- Use one of these guides as part of your own devotion at home.
