The month of May includes a special devotion to Mary in Catholic parishes throughout the world. In 1987, the bishops of the United States dedicated the month of May to Mary as the Queen of Heaven, encouraging the May Crowning devotion, where a statue of the Blessed Mother in the church is crowned with a wreath of flowers, and flowers are laid at her feet.
Devotion to Mary can often be a stumbling block for Protestants who are curious about the Catholic Church. This month, we asked our members: “At any point in your journey, have you been bothered by talking about Mary as ‘Queen of Heaven?’ If so, why? And has anything helped you better understand this title for her?” Here is what some of them had to say:
*****
“Seeing Mary as the woman with the 12 star crown standing on the moon in the heavens in Revelation 12:1 was a clincher very early in my journey to the Catholic Church along with us being the rest of her offspring in Revelation 12:17.”
– Howard H.
“I used to be (troubled by it), until it was explained that in history, the mother of a king was often the queen of a nation. Then it made sense that Our Lady is the Queen of Heaven.”
– Janis J.
“I privately asked the question on occasion where our heavenly mother was over the years. There was never a context for it in my understanding of Christianity. Protestants barely acknowledge Mary and denigrate her implicitly. But, I thought, in families there’s a father and mother. I wondered who the mother was in the heavenly family. Now I know. Understanding the Queen Mother’s role was the key that unlocked the Church’s theology on Mary in that regard.”
– Anna Y.
“When I first read about it, it made perfect sense. It was a kind of ‘DUH!’ moment (Mother of the King is the Queen Mother) and it also clicked with the woman crowned with the twelve stars in the Apocalypse. So no, it didn’t bother me except for the fact I never realized or thought about her much at all until that point.”
– Leonard A.
“Honestly? It still bothers me even though I have been Catholic for 15 years. I know all of the verses and apologetics for it. That said, I trust the Church’s judgment more than I trust my own gut reactions and I remind myself of that.”
– Laura F.
“This was my biggest hang up, coming from the Evangelical space. All of the points above really helped me understand her role better. It’s been such a healing process finding a rela- tionship with her. I read Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary and that completely shifted my thoughts. Highly recommend!”
– Meghan G.
“I had hesitations with parts of the Hail Holy Queen prayer, but not Mary as Queen. It helps to look at history and know the role of queens in the royal courts. She is never equal to the King, but she rep- resents the crown. It all fits together so nicely!”
– Morgan C.
*****
Here’s what the Church has to say about Mary as Queen:
“Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.” The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resur- rection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians… CCC 966
