The Month of Mary: Why May Is Dedicated to Our Lady
The Month of Mary is the Catholic tradition of dedicating the whole month of May to the Virgin Mary, with daily devotions, flowers, the Rosary, and hymns in her honor. It is one of the most popular expressions of Marian piety. This guide explains the origin and the meaning of this devotion.
May, the Month of Mary
The association of May with Mary became established above all from the eighteenth century onward, in Italy, and spread throughout the Catholic world. May, the month of spring and of flowers in the northern hemisphere, was seen as the ideal time to honor “the most beautiful flower” of creation. In many communities the Rosary is prayed daily, the image of Our Lady is crowned, and flowers are offered.
The Magisterium
The Popes encouraged this devotion. Pope Paul VI dedicated the encyclical Mense Maio (1965) to it, asking that in May prayer to Mary be intensified for the needs of the Church and of the world, above all for peace. The devotion of the month of Mary is simple and familiar, accessible to all ages.
And October?
Besides May, the Church also dedicates the month of October to Mary, under the title of the Rosary (the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is on October 7). May emphasizes filial tenderness; October, the prayer of the Rosary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the month of Mary?
May is the Marian month par excellence; October is the month of the Rosary.
How is the month of Mary lived?
With the daily Rosary, the crowning of Our Lady, flowers, hymns, and small practices of devotion in the family or in the community.
See also
Would you like to study Mariology seriously?
This article grows out of the works in the Locus Mariologicus library. The Postgraduate Program in Mariology takes you to the same source, with academic guidance: Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, and the Magisterium, from the first dogma to contemporary questions.
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