Pilgrim Statue Visitation: May Statue-Crowning Ceremony, 5/6/2012

Parishioners gathered in our main

hall to honor Our Lady & our children

lined up to offer her leis (click on the

photos to view larger images)

Hail, Holy Queen

Many  Catholics  are  familiar  with  the  fact  that  the month of May is traditionally dedicated to Mary. May, in particular, represents the blooming of new life; the month of flowers. The Faithful around the world combine their love for the Blessed Virgin, the beauty of  flowers, and their faith in Eternal Life by adorning statues of Our Lady with floral crowns and garlands during this month. In Hawaii, we use our version of the floral garland - the "lei" - to sometimes decorate images of Jesus, the Blessed Mother, and the Saints.

Today, my parish of St. Anthony’s Church in Kailua celebrated a May Statue-Crowning Ceremony in keeping with time-honored traditions. After the 8:30am Mass, our students from the children's catechism program and their families were invited to the crowning ceremony during which the children came forward to offer various fragrant leis to our Blessed Mother, as represented by my lovely Rosa Mystica pilgrim statue; a crown of mini-roses was the finishing touch to the ceremony. 

A short video from my parish's

May statue-crowning event.

Marian hymns were also sung during the statue-crowning, and afterwards, we had the opportunity to preview my parish's Scriptural Rosary DVD Project, which we've been diligently working on for the past year; it was well-received by those present. All-in-all, it was a wonderful morning gathering and a triumph of the Blessed Mother in our parish; I've never seen my statue look so radiant and happy!  Ad Jesum Per Mariam!

  

Parents and children watching a preview

of our parish's Scriptural Rosary DVD Project

(note the unusual ball of blue light hovering

near the Blessed Mother's statue)

Coronation Prayer to Mary

O, Blessed Mary, today

we crown you as Queen of our

parish.  We affirm and re-affirm

that you are our dear mother, so

loving, merciful, and powerful;

the Queen of our lives, our hearts,

and souls.  With every Rosary that

we pray, a crown of roses is made

for you; woven with all our Faith,

Hope, and Love.  Please, mother…

protect, help, and guide us.

Amen.