Why is May the "Month of Mary'?

I have been a priest for almost 60 years, and every parish where I was assigned had a May crowning of Mary on the first Sunday of May. It usually involved children from the parish who would take flowers to put in front of Mary’s statue and an older child to place a crown of flowers on Mary’s head. We usually sang, “O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today!” or another Marian song. I had no idea why we did this in May until I did some research.

The tradition of dedicating the month of May to Mary began in the 13th century. The naming of May as Our Lady’s Month was an attempt to replace the pagan festivals and to turn them into the worship of the True God and veneration of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Another reason is that May is the time when spring is at the height of its beauty when nature is renewing itself. In her own way, Mary gave new life to the world when she gave birth to our savior, Jesus Christ.

This new beginning and new birth in nature remind us of the life Mary gave to Jesus. Without Mary giving birth to Jesus, all the events that followed: Jesus’ life, death and resurrection would not have happened. We believe that May (when nature is showing signs of new life) is the ideal month to honor the woman who gave life to our Savior.

Pope Paul VI in his “Encyclical on the Month of May” says, “May is the occasion for a moving tribute of faith and love that Catholics in every part of the world pay to the Queen of Heaven. During this month, Christians, both in church and in the privacy of the home, offer up to Mary from their hearts an especially fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration. Inthis month, too, the benefits of God’s mercy come down to us from her throne in greater abundance.”

Jesus calls Mary “woman” twice in the Gospel of John – once at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry at the wedding in Cana and under the cross at the end of his ministry. She helps usher in his ministry and is there when his early ministry is complete. In giving the beloved disciple and Mary to each other’s care, Mary becomes the mother of all those who follow Jesus. Spiritual writers have declared that “the disciple Jesus loved” while literally meaning St. John, can also be understood spiritually to include every faithful Christian.

Devotion to Mary is an important part of the Catholic identity. As our mother, she is an example of a committed “Yes” to God’s will. Because of the devotion to her, many people ask her for help in the most difficult moments of their lives as children do with their own mothers.

Mary was the first to hear the Good News and the first to follow Christ. Her entire life was devoted to him and to helping him in whatever way she could to carry on his mission. Unaffected by original sin she could open herself to God’s will perfectly.

In May of 2002, (Saint) Pope John Paul II said, “Today we begin the month dedicated to Our Lady, a favorite of popular devotions. In accord with a long-standing tradition of devotion, parishes and families continue to make the month of May a ‘Marian’ month celebrating it with many devout liturgical, catechetical, and pastoral initiatives!”