The Month of Our Lady and a Great Gift from Pope Francis

May is a time of new life and of hope. The words from the hymn often used for May crowning when I was young also tells us, “’Tis the month of Our Mother…”  Yes, in May the Church asks us to turn again in a special way to Our Mother Mary and contemplate her role in the mystery of her Son Jesus and in our own lives.  This year our Holy Father Pope Francis is giving us a tremendous gift in an initiative that he is promoting during this time of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization announced on April 21 that Pope Francis would launch a 30-day Rosary relay on May 1.  Thirty shrines around the world will take turns leading the Rosary for the intention of the end of the pandemic. The theme of the Rosary relay is taken from the Acts of the Apostles 12:5, “the church prayed fervently to God.”  This verse describes how the Church prayed for St. Peter when he was arrested by King Herod and put in prison.  In answer to this heartfelt prayer, Acts tells us that an angel miraculously recued Peter from prison.  This shows us that prayer is powerful and can change things dramatically, free us, and give us hope.

On May 1 at 6:00 pm Rome time (12 noon our time), Pope Francis prayed the Rosary in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome before the ancient image of the Madonna of Succour (Our Lady of Help).  This image of the Blessed Virgin was part of the original basilica built by the Emperor Constantine and is considered the most famous image of the Blessed Mother in the  Vatican basilica dedicated to the first pope.  At that time, Pope Francis blessed rosaries that were sent to the 30 shrines where the Rosary will be prayed. 

The Marian shrines that are participating in the Rosary marathon are from many different counties of the world, illustrating the universality of the Church and the great love for Our Lady that people of every culture and language have.  On May 17, the Rosary will be prayed from our own National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. On May 30, Pope Francis will lead the final Rosary from the Lourdes Shrine in the Vatican Gardens. 

Most importantly Pope Francis wants to teach us of the power Our Blessed Mother’s intercession has for the Church and for all of us.  No surprise, she is the Mother of the Church as the Second Vatican Council reminded us and our own Mother as Jesus told us from the cross, “Behold your mother” (Jn 19:27).

Dear brothers and sisters, let us follow Pope Francis’ lead and pray the Rosary each day during the Month of May for the end of the Coronavirus pandemic.  As we dust off our beads and go before the loving face of Our Mother, we should remember that corona is a Latin word meaning “crown” and is another term used by the Church referring to the Rosary.  We crown Mary with our prayers and our love.  Through her intercession with God may our pleas for the end of the pandemic be “crowned” with success!

Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid, Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh