Ever treasures the memory to this day: “Bring flowers of the rarest, bring blossoms the fairest,” the cathedral choir would sing each spring of her childhood for the annual May Crowning of the Mary statue. In white dresses with blue ribbons, the young girls of St. Patrick’s in Fort Worth, Texas, would process up to the statue and place a crown of flowers on her head.
But even if your parish doesn’t do a May Crowning, your family has a host of options in the month of May to honor the Blessed Mother and deepen your devotion to her. Wherever you are in the journey of parenting, it’s not too late to give your children the precious gift of Marian devotion—forged in childhood and unfolding throughout their lives.
So, get out your calendars and choose one of these dates: First Saturday devotions, May 6; Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, May 13; Our Lady of Fatima, May 13; Mary, Help of Christians, May 24; Our Lady, Queen of Apostles, the Saturday following the Ascension; Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, May 31; or the Feast of the Visitation, May 31.
On the day you choose, here are 7 ways to launch or hit “reset” on your family’s devotion to our Blessed Mother: (Read the entire article at Aleteia here.
This reflection is adapted from an earlier post.
> In last week’s Letter, “Choose Your Housework Attitude,” we profiled Lilly, the mother of a friend. Stephen, a Letters subscriber, reached out to share this: “A beautiful story of a beautiful woman! And I am also thinking, ‘Take great joy, too, in the hilarious messes! [in our families and homes]” Amen!
> From the National Catholic Register, here is “Why is May the Month of Mary?“
> And as we look to Mother’s Day on May 14th, enjoy “Mary and the Meaning of Mother’s Day” (Denver Catholic)
> From Catholic News Agency: “How to Pray a Family Rosary“
> And don’t forget our compilation of other tools for building Family Culture in your Trinity House.
> Are you interested in seeing Trinity House Community Gatherings (aka Heaven in Your Home Gatherings) at your parish this fall? We’re nearing the official launch of our parish-based model! For $499, any parish will be able to access all the tools needed to host 5 Gatherings for families in 2023-2024, including videos, discussion questions, marketing templates, catechetical resources, ongoing support, and more. Schedule a 20-min. call to learn more! Here’s our Calendly calendar where you can choose a time.
As one couple said, “I think the biggest blessing from our Trinity House Community Gatherings has been the relationships we’ve developed…and having people to more intentionally live our faith with.”
> We’re hiring for a 20-hr/week Development Associate! Check out the position description here. Drop us a line if you’d like to chat about this possibility and learn more!
“Trinity House draws us closer to each other, to family and to the Church. It encourages quiet moments of rest, reflection and prayer — an evangelizing presence in a noisy world.”
– Msgr. John Cregan, Diocese of Arlington
