Celebrating the May Crowning: Mary, Queen of Heaven, Pray for Us!

In the beautiful wisdom of our Catholic Tradition, the month of May is devoted to Mary, Queen of Heaven. This month includes several Marian feast days, including Our Lady of Fatima on May 13, Mary Help of Christians on May 24, and the Visitation on May 31. We are encouraged to honor Mary during this month. Several ways that we can do that include praying the Rosary more frequently, teaching our children and friends about our loving mother, and honoring Mary with a May Crowning.

For the second and eighth-grade students, the May Crowning has a long and special history at our parish school.

Eighth-grade religion teacher Kathi Rafferty helps put together this celebration each year.

“Our second-graders have just made their First Communion so they wear their dresses and formal wear,” she says. “The boys process in and form a sort of honor guard as the girls process in and place their bouquets at the feet of Mary.”

Historians are unclear exactly where the custom of the May Crowning originated from but the celebration of crowning Mary with flowers is a beautiful tradition.

Each of the second and eighth grade girls makes their own bouquets of flowers with which they honor Mary. Each year, one eighth-grade girl is given the honor of crowning Mary with a wreath of flowers. This “May Queen” is chosen by her teachers and classmates as a young lady who exudes the virtues and qualities of Mary herself. These virtues show themselves in a student who says “yes” to what God asks of her, is respectful and reverent, includes others, and is always willing to help.

“Ultimately, it is the ability to really celebrate the qualities that make Mary someone that we venerate so deeply,” Mrs. Rafferty says. “I think this honor is given to the eighth-grader who really demonstrates these virtues. We really need to focus on these traits in our culture right now. We choose the young lady who has a generous heart and exemplifies giving of oneself just as Mary did and continues to do.”

This year’s May Queen is Thien-Ai Nguyen, and the May Crowning will be held on May 6, at the 9 a.m. school Mass. Along with presenting the flowers to Mary and crowning the statues, the readings are focused on Mary and the students pray a litany to Mary.

“This really is a beautiful Mass and a wonderful celebration for the school,” Mrs. Rafferty says. “All are welcome to join us for this event.”

This year’s May Queen, Thien-Ai Nguyen

The 2021 eighth-grade class at last year’s May Crowning