May is the month of Mary

Traditionally, May is consecrated as the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but do we know why? Mary has a special place in the hearts of all the members of the Roman Catholic Church because she is not only the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, but also our Mother. In the first centuries, the Church celebrated a special feast in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary on May 15 of each month. St. Philip Neri, in the 16th century, taught youth people to decorate the image of the Mother of God with flowers. However, Fr. Annibale Dionisi SJ, an Italian Jesuit, formalized the modern Catholic tradition of dedicating May to the Virgin Mary through his influential 1725 book, Il mese di Maria o sia il mese di maggio consacrato a Maria (The Month of Mary, or the Month of May Consecrated to Mary). In addition, the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 established the tradition because of the wishes of the Popes and Christian people to honor the Mother of the Lord. Popes Pius VII, Gregory XVI, and Pius XIX devoted themselves to it and May became the Marian month.

May is the month of Mary. During this month, many Catholics offer special prayers, devotions, and acts of love dedicated to her. People often set up a small altar with flowers, pray the Rosary, or participate in May crownings—ceremonies where a statue of Mary is crowned with flowers as a sign of honor and love. Our children this Sunday, during 10:30 am Mass, will crown Mary. Let us consecrate our children and ourselves to the Mother of the Lord.

One person who has a special devotion to our Blessed Mother is Bishop Bonnici, whose episcopal motto is “to Jesus, through Mary.” “The phrase ‘To Jesus Through Mary’ rose to prominence through St. Louis de Montfort’s book True Devotion to Mary. He used these words to explain that devotion to Mary is the best way to grow closer to Jesus, because Mary herself will lead us to her Son if we ask her to do so” (Diocese of Pittsburgh). To Jesus through Mary” (Ad Iesum per Mariam) is a cornerstone of Catholic spirituality emphasizing that devotion to Mary is the fastest, safest, and most perfect way to grow closer to Jesus Christ. It involves total consecration, asking Mary to guide, shape, and present our prayers and lives to her Son. Our parish family will have the blessing of receiving a visit from the Bishop on May 30th at the 4:30 pm Mass for the first time. This day will be the first vespers of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, our feast day. Bishop Bonnici will be with us to celebrate this wonderful Eucharist and our 165th anniversary as a community of faith who walks together by the hand of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the house of God, Our Father. Join us in this celebration and greet Bishop Bonnici in a reception that will be held immediately following Mass in honor of our feast day and welcoming our Pastor. If you cannot attend the Mass with the Bishop, we will continue to celebrate our feast day on Sunday. There will be a coffee hour held after each Mass.