‘Mary’s Month’/Rosary

Q Many Catholics consider May as “Mary’s Month.”  Why is that?

A In ancient times, the Greeks dedicated the month of May to Artemis, the goddess of fertility and life, and the Romans linked May to Flora, the goddess of bloom and blossoms.  Winter was over and May was the beginning of new growth.  These ancient traditions of connecting new life and fertility to the month of May led to the realization that May should be linked to motherhood.  This prompted Christians to adopt May as the month of Mary to Christianize pagan feasts and to honor the mother of Jesus.  

Special May devotions honoring Mary began to be celebrated around the 11th century.  There was even a special feast honoring Mary on May 15, but it wasn’t until the 18th century that May, as the month of Mary, really took off.  According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “The May devotion (to Our Lady) in its present form originated at Rome where Father Latomia of the Roman College of the Society of Jesus, to counteract infidelity and immorality among the students, made a vow at the end of the 18th century to devote the month of May to Mary. From Rome the practice spread to the other Jesuit colleges and thence to nearly every Catholic church of the Latin rite.”

In 1945 Pope Pius XII solidified May as a Marian month by establishing May 31 as the feast of “The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”  This feast day was moved to Aug. 22 after the Second Vatican Council and was replaced by the feast of  The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Honoring Mary during the month of May has a rich tradition in our Catholic Church, so I challenge you to do something special to honor Mary during this month.  Suggestions might be to begin wearing a Miraculous Medal (a medal honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary) or begin saying a daily rosary.  

“Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much.  You can never love her more than Jesus did.” – St. Maximilian Kolbe

Q What is so important about the rosary?

A I think the saints and holy members of the church with quotes taken from “The Pieta Prayer Booklet” can explain it better than I can.

“Our Lady has over 100 titles.  She selected this title at Fatima:  ‘I am the Lady of the Rosary.’

“St. Francis de Sales said the greatest method of praying is ‘Pray the Rosary.’

“St. Thomas Aquinas preached 40 straight days in Rome on just the Hail Mary.

“St. John Vianney, patron of priests, was seldom seen without a rosary in his hand.

“The rosary is the scourge of the devil.” – Pope Adrian VI

“The rosary is a treasure of graces.” – Pope Paul V

“The rosary is THE WEAPON.” – St. Padre Pio

“The rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who so loves his mother.” – St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort.

So, start saying the rosary and take Mary into your home, just like St. John did after Jesus gave his mother to him and to us, while he suffered on the cross.

Deacon Hooper is a deacon assistant at Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs. He can be reached at [email protected].