Photo Taken from Google via Creative Commons License

Schools and churches all over the world participate in May crowning.

May is a widely celebrated month in the Catholic church because it is seen as a month of recognition for Mary, the Queen of Heaven. This year, Rosary had their May crowning in the St. Juliana church with Fr. Ian on May 7. Customarily, May crowning consists of multitudes of flowers being placed around a statue of Mary and special songs sung by students. At Rosary, a big tradition during the mass is to sing “Gentle Woman” and “Ave Maria,” among other Marian hymns. During the annual mass, a special flower crown is placed on Mary’s head to celebrate her role in the church and as our mother in faith.

May crowning is a very special and treasured tradition in the Catholic church that began in Italy. The significant tradition of recognizing Mary during the month of May was begun by Father Latomia, who started the tradition to encourage devotion of students. At Rosary, Mary plays a pivotal role in the education and faith base. Students at Rosary strive to follow in her footsteps and lead a life of devotion to Christ, just as she did. She acts as a role model to all women and helps us grow in our faith through her guidance and tender love for us.

Sophomore religion teacher and cantor at Rosary school masses Mrs. Vasquez ’17 shares why she thinks this mass is very important to Rosary: “It’s a special celebration because Mary is the patron of our school and her faith inspires everything we do at Rosary. In the mass we crown her as queen of heaven and earth and every day we can work to emulate her in all our words and actions.”

During the mass, Mrs. Vasquez sang traditional songs about Mary alongside the Rosary choir. Their lovely voices and harmonies added a special touch to the mass. At the end of the usual mass, two Rosary students carried a white rose flower crown, presenting it to Fr. Ian. After a blessing of holy water on the crown, the choir lead the school in singing “Ave Maria.” Aurora Ortuno ’26 got the honor of placing the crown on top of Mary’s head during the final moments of mass. This moment shows Mary as the mother and nurturer of our faith. In prayer when we ask for her intercession, she lifts all our intentions to God, becoming a messenger of prayer.

Mia Gamba ’28 shares about her experience during the mass, “I loved being in the different setting of the St. Julianna church! My favorite part of the mass was the choir singing songs about Mother Mary and singing along with my friends.” The songs that were sung during the mass were definitely fan favorites!

Campus Ministry member Bridget Santana ’27 explains why the mass was special to her, “May crowning mass was very special because it was an opportunity to hear about how Mary is a constant light, guide, and protector for us. Watching her be crowned was an amazing way to honor her and show our love and gratitude for her.”

All over the world mother Mary is celebrated during the month of May. Abundances of flowers are placed at the feet of Mary statues with every May crowning. Singing songs and praying the rosary are also common traditions to celebrate Mary. Next time you pray, say an extra Hail Mary to pray for her intercession during this holy month.