Crowning Mother Mary

by Mary Ann Halloran

We are in the beautiful month of May. I love this month. The roses and flowers of all sorts are blooming, birds are singing, and I see baby bunnies and baby quail from my front window. 

I especially love this month because it also is the month of Mary, our dear Mother in Heaven. When I was a little girl in St. Gregory's Catholic School, we would celebrate yearly a May crowning of our Lady, followed by a social with strawberry shortcake and ice cream. 

Each May the whole school would learn songs to Mary and practice walking around the quad at our school where there was a beautiful statue of Mary. Each classroom (grades 1-8) would all learn where they would take up their place in the grassy area. Then the 8th grader chosen to crown Mary would practice walking around the quad with four other 8th graders carrying one of the four ribbons from the pillow that held the crown.

Then the big night came! Parents and friends would come and line around the whole quad of grass while all the classes of children processed in singing the Marian songs we had learned. The girls wore pretty dresses and the boys were in nice attire. The children who made their First Communion that year would wear their First Communion clothes. The girls of all ages had flowers in their hair and some carried bouquets of flowers. The fragrance of blossoms was gorgeous. 

An 8th-grade girl would crown Mary while we sang, "O Mary We Crown Thee with Blossoms Today." Then the whole school and all those gathered prayed the rosary together. It really was one of my favorite days of the year. 

When I was in the 8th grade, the class would all vote on who would crown Mary and who would carry the ribbons of the pillow. We voted on a piece of paper and turned them in. I silently voted for myself because I wanted to do it so badly. Well, I didn't win any of them. I was terribly disappointed but so it was. 

I let it go and never really thought of it anymore.

Many years passed, then in 1999, I was asked if my two little boys aged 2 and 3 would crown Mary at a May crowning at a soccer stadium in El Paso, TX. I didn't really know the person who asked me. She asked me through a friend of mine. Well of course I said yes. I was excited my kids could do that, and I even practiced at home with them. 

I didn't know at all how it was going to be but I just figured we would go and I would be shown what, where, and how the kids would crown Mary. When I got there I was stunned at the huge size of the arena and the amount of people there. Matachines (Mexican dancers for Mary) were all dancing around. There were tons of them. I could not figure out how in the world two little children would crown the statue of Mary which I had not seen yet. 

I met the lady in charge. My friend who had originally asked me about the crowning was also there. I asked them both, "Where is the little statue of Mary that the kids will crown so I could show them and practice with them?" The woman in charge was so busy with things that I wasn't getting a response. My friend didn't know anything. I was confused and bewildered. 

Then four men came out carrying a wooden stretcher on their shoulders with a tall (at least 6 ft. high) statue of Our Lady. They processed out, and we were to follow. My friend was with me and I said frantically, "There's no way they can crown that!!!!" It was so high. 

My friend said to the lady in charge, "The kids can't reach that!" She responded to my friend, "Have their mother crown her." My friend said to me, "She wants you to crown her." I said, "What?" as we continued marching onto the field. We made it to the middle of the field, music was playing to our Lady. They placed the statue on a platform. 

It was dusk. The stadium lights were on. There was also a light shining on the face of Mary. 

A ladder was set up for me. I was handed the crown, and I ascended to the top stair of the 6 ft ladder. I had to lean over to reach her and place the crown on Mary's head. When I placed the crown, something like an electric shock went through me. It was a spiritual touch of Mother Mary, and time seemed to momentarily stand still for me. I looked at her face and felt her love so deeply. My soul and spirit were so filled with joy. 

I climbed down the ladder and my friend said, "Wow, something happened when you crowned her." Still bewildered by it all, I responded, "Yes, it did." 

In the days and weeks and months following, a few friends of mine who had been in the crowd of the stadium asked me, "How did you get chosen to crown Mary?" I would say, "I really don't know." I would often ask myself, "How did that happen?" 

Reflecting on it, I know it was a gift from Jesus and Mary. Years later they granted my childhood heart's desire to crown Our Lady in a May crowning. This came as a total surprise! It was a special moment that I won't forget. It was a pure gift from heaven. 

As far as my little children that were supposed to crown Mary that night and could not, they were not at all disappointed but were actually relieved when they saw the size of the crowd, the lights, and the height of the statue up on a high platform. 

Since then (with a small statue), I have done many simple little May crownings with my children, my grandchildren, and other children including some who were preparing for their First Communion. I hope it will remain a special memory for them. 

I recommend you do it with your precious little ones. 

This photo is me crowning Mary that actual night. My friend took it from the base of the ladder with a disposable camera. You can see how I had to really lean in and hold on to crown her. 

Thanks for letting me share my May story. 

God bless you, 

Mary Ann / Mother Hen