Celebrating the Month of Mary

For centuries, the month of May has been dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God. In his encyclical Mense Maio, Pope Paul VI wrote, "This is the month during which Christians, in their churches and their homes, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration; and it is the month in which a greater abundance of God's merciful gifts come down to us from our Mother's throne" (April 29, 1964).

During May, it is common for parishes to honor the Blessed Mother with May Crowning ceremonies, traditionally held toward the beginning of the month. Parishioners, most often children, adorn statues of Mary with crowns of flowers, which are also placed around her feet.

The month also often features additional opportunities to gather together to pray the Rosary. On May 13, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, commemorating the Blessed Mother's first appearance in Fatima, during which she urged the shepherd children to pray the Rosary every day.

In addition to the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, the month of May also includes the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost (May 19, 2024) and the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (May 31), commemorating Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth, who would soon give birth to St. John the Baptist.

Below, you will find a list of some of the ceremonies and prayer opportunities being held to celebrate the Month of Mary, but the month also provides an opportunity to celebrate Mary in your home or with your family. Suggestions include setting up Marian prayer corner in your home, praying a novena to Our Lady, praying the Rosary, reading a book or Scripture passages about Mary, or planting a Mary Garden, another tradition that goes back centuries.

May Crowning Ceremonies

Belfast

St. Francis of Assisi Church, 81 Court Street - A May crowning ceremony will take place during the opening procession of the Sunday, May 12, 8:30 am. Mass.

Bingham

St. Peter Church, 27 Owens Street - A May Crowning ceremony will take place during the Saturday, May 4, 6 p.m. Mass.

Falmouth

Holy Martyrs of North America Church, 266 Foreside Road - At the conclusion of the Sunday, May 5, 10:30 a.m. Mass at Holy Martyrs of North America Church, faith formation children will crown a state of Mary. The statue will then be carried in a procession to the streets outside the church.

Gorham

St. Anne Church, 299 Main Street - A May crowning ceremony will be held during the 8 a.m. Mass on Sunday, May 5.

Madawaska

St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 309 St. Thomas Street - Children will take part in a May crowning ceremony during the Sunday, May 5, 8:30 a.m. Mass. All children at the Mass will bring a flower to Mary.

Madison

St. Sebastian Church, 161 Main Street - A May Crowning ceremony will take place during the Sunday, May 5, 10:30 a.m. Mass.

Portland

St. Pius X Church, 492 Ocean Avenue - Faith formation children will participate in a May Crowning ceremony on Sunday, May 5, following the 9:30 a.m. Mass at St. Pius X Church. There will be a procession with flowers to a statue of Mary, weather permitting, or to the parish hall, for a May crowning service.

Rockland

St. Bernard Church, 150 Broadway - A May crowning ceremony will be held during the opening procession of the Sunday, May 5, 8 a.m. Mass

Scarborough

St. Maximilian Kolbe Church, 150 Black Point Road - Children will participate in a May crowning ceremony in the Mary Garden at the church on Sunday, May 5, at 1 p.m. They will then have the opportunity to make their own Mary Garden.

Westbrook

St. Hyacinth Church, 268 Brown Street - Following the 9:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, May 5, a procession will be held to an outdoor statue of Mary for a May crowning ceremony

Windham

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 919 Roosevelt Trail - Following the 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Masses on Sunday, May 5, there will be processions outside, for May crowning ceremonies.

Rosary & Prayer Gatherings

Bangor

To honor the Blessed Mother in the month of May and entrust us to her intercession, all are invited to a Marian Pilgrimage at St. Mary Church, 768 Ohio Street in Bangor, on Saturday, May 4, 9 a.m. to 10:30 am. Participants will pray the Rosary, Mary’s Way of the Cross, and a litany of Mary’s virtues. Please join us with your friends and family! All are also invited to bring a flower to contribute to Mary’s bouquet.

Frenchville

A prayer rally for Our Lady will be held at the Knights of Columbus cross in Frenchville on Saturday, May 11, at noon. People are invited to join in praying that Our Lady may help the world obtain peace and the end of war.

Gorham

A Rosary Rally at St. Anne Church will include the opportunity for the sacrament of reconciliation, Mass at 11 a.m., and outdoor Rosary at Noon, and lunch afterwards. This is a family friendly event.

Lewiston

Knights of Columbus Council 10019 from Holy Family Church in Lewiston along with the group Maine Needs Fatima will honor Our Lady of Fatima with a prayer service on May 19, at 1 p.m. at Holy Family Church, 607 Sabattus Street in Lewiston. A beautiful statue of Our Lady of Fatima will be on display during the service, the history of the Fatima apparitions will be shared, the Divine Mercy Chaplet will be prayed, and a eucharistic Holy Hour will be held.

Sanford

On May 4 at 5:00 p.m. (following 4:00 p.m. Mass) there will be a Marian devotion with the praying of the Rosary and Benediction at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish’s Holy Family Church, 66 North Avenue in Sanford. Prayer intentions from parishioners will be placed in front of the Blessed Mother before the service begins. Deacon Paul Lissandrello from St. Matthew Parish in Limerick will lead the service, and there will be a reception afterwards. For more information, call (207) 324-2420 or email [email protected]

Other Celebrations

Madawaska

Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Parish will host the first annual Our Lady's Mother & Daughters Tea Party on Sunday, May 19, at 1 p.m. in the St. Thomas Room of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 309 St. Thomas Street in Madawaska. All young ladies from ages 5-18 are invited to attend with their mothers and grandmothers.