Library

Dedicate the month of May to the Blessed Virgin Mary

May 11, 2011

• Joan Hopkins
• jhopkins@ben.edu

This month, please visit our second floor display honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. Dedicating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin is a Christian custom which arose at the end of the 13th century and is a pious practice especially recommended by the Popes of the Roman Catholic Church.

• Paul VI wrote a short encyclical in 1965 using the Month of Mary devotion as a means of obtaining prayers for peace. He urged the faithful to make use of this practice which is "gladdening and consoling" and by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is honored and the Christian people are enriched with spiritual gifts".
• In May of 2002 Pope John Paul II said, "Today we begin the month dedicated to Our Lady a favorite of popular devotion. In accord with a long-standing tradition of devotion, parishes and families continue to make the month of May a 'Marian' month, celebrating it with many devout liturgical, catechetical and pastoral initiatives!"

The Library display features photos of Marian shrines on the Benedictine campus, St. Procopius Abbey, and the Sacred Heart Monastery.