Last week, on Aug. 15, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Assumption, and this week, on Aug. 22, we celebrate the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. The Feast of the Queenship of Mary is celebrated one week after the Assumption as a fitting conclusion to an octave of days giving special attention to Mary. Originally, Aug. 22 was set by Pope Pius XII as the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and hence, August became the month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It was St. Pope Paul VI who transferred the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to after the celebration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus following Pentecost to highlight the connection between the Assumption and the Queenship of Mary.
It is worth noting that, while the belief in the Assumption of Mary as well as the Queenship of Mary has been a constant and strong aspect of the Church’s tradition, it’s been relatively recent, in the 20th century, that both were formally declared. These aspects of Mary’s life and place in the Church are obvious ones as well as their relationship to one another. Mary’s Assumption into heaven points to her primary role as the first to experience the full fruits of the redemption. Her coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth underlies this affirmation and goes hand in hand with her being assumed into heaven.
It may be beneficial to reflect upon the many artistic depictions of the coronation of Mary. They have existed through the ages emphasizing her special role as our queen. One of the most popular is our Lord placing a crown on the head of Mary as she is enthroned before Him. There are many different artistic depictions of this, and their meaning is quite obvious. Mary’s special role in the life of Christ and the life of the Church is clearly displayed. Her crowning moment was her Assumption into heaven when she became the first of all believers in Christ to be fully redeemed as a model for all of us and occupies a central place in God’s kingdom.
This understanding of the coronation of our Blessed Mother is well summed up in the words of Pope Pius XII in his encyclical: “Hence it is not surprising that the early writers of the Church called Mary ‘the Mother of the King’ and ‘the Mother of the Lord,’ basing their stand on the words of St. Gabriel, the Archangel, who foretold that the Son of Mary would reign forever, and on the words of Elizabeth, who greeted her with reverence and called her ‘the Mother of my Lord.’ Thereby they clearly signify that Mary derived a certain eminence and exalted station from the royal dignity of her Son.”
Another popular depiction of the coronation of Mary includes the Trinity. There are many varieties of this artistic rendering. One of them is found at St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome on the tabernacle before which Pope Francis used to pray on his frequent visits there. It depicts Mary enthroned with the Father and the Son placing the crown upon Mary’s head and the Holy Spirit hovering over them. In this medieval depiction, the fact that Mary had been assumed into heaven also shows the fulfillment of her role as the first to participate in the full redemption of her Son. However, it also places Mary within the life of the Trinity in a very intimate manner. She completes the mission of Jesus in restoring all of humanity to the original state of glory in which God created the human person. Mary’s life is now in a particular way part of the Trinity, and the Trinity’s life is now part of her. This representation speaks a great deal about the role of Mary and humanity within the life of God and His plan for creation.
As we celebrate the Queenship of Mary, we are again reminded of the unique role of Mary within the life of the Church. We are reminded of her role as our Mother and guide, as well as her representing the grandeur of humanity brought to fulfillment in the Incarnation. As we continue to move to the conclusion of the month of August, we look to Mary’s Immaculate Heart in a special way. The heart of Mary speaks to the heart of Jesus and to the heart of each and every one of us. The heart of Mary truly is a heart of peace. Pope Pius XII presented his encyclical on the Queenship of Mary in view of “a world shaken by hate” to invoke the
intercession of Mary, “the Mediatrix of peace.” He said, “We are convinced that this feast will help preserve, strengthen and prolong that peace among nations, which daily is most destroyed by recurring crisis.”
Last week in this column, using the words of Pope Leo XIV, describing Mary in his encyclical on the splendor of humanity and the challenge of artificial intelligence, I referred to the Magnificat of the Assumption. On the feast of her coronation, I refer likewise to the Magnificat of her Queenship, which proclaims clearly the glory of the Lord. How much our world needs the intercession of Mary today.
Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for us!
Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito
