The Month of Mary

Our Lady of Grace

 THE MONTH OF MARY

May is the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Let us all genuinely strive to live an authentic devotion to Jesus' mother. She will obtain for us many graces, including the one that matters most—our salvation. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

The Marian months are May, October, August, and September. The latter two are not as well known as Marian among the Roman Catholic faithful.

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Why is May Mary’s month?

Here’s a brief explanation.

For centuries, the Catholic Church has set aside the entire month of Mary to honor Mary, Mother of God. Not just a day in May, mind you, but the entire month.

The custom spans both centuries and cultures, with roots going back as far as the Ancient Greeks. In early Greece, May was dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of fecundity.

In Ancient Rome, May was dedicated to Flora, the goddess of blooms, or blossoms. They celebrated ludi florals, or floral games, at the end of April and asked the intercession of Flora for all that blooms.

In medieval times, similar customs abounded, all centering around the practice of expelling winter, as May 1 was considered the start of new growth.

During this period, the tradition of Tricesimum, or “Thirty-Day Devotion to Mary,” came into being. Also called, “Lady Month,” the event was held from August 15-September 14 and is still observed in some areas.

The idea of a month dedicated specifically to Mary can be traced back to baroque times. Although it wasn’t always held during May, Mary Month included thirty daily spiritual exercises honoring Mary.

It was in this era that Mary’s Month and May were combined, making May the Month of Mary with special devotions organized on each day throughout the month. This custom became especially widespread during the nineteenth century and remains in practice until today.

https://www.ncregister.com/blog/why-is-may-the-month-of-mary

—Marge Fenelon, “Why is May the Month of Mary?” National Catholic Register, May 1, 2020

On October 7th, the Church celebrates the feast day of Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary. The feast day was established by Pope Saint Pius V on the anniversary of the victory at Lepanto on October 7, 1571. The naval victory was attributed to the Virgin Mary whose intercession was entreated through the recitation of the Holy Rosary.

[In 1883] the Church then proceeded to dedicate the entire month of October to the Holy Rosary so that individuals, families, and communities would pray the Holy Rosary, if possible, on a daily basis for peace in the world. “Not only do we earnestly exhort all Christians to give themselves to the recital of the pious devotion of the Rosary publicly, or privately in their own house and family, and that unceasingly, but we also desire that the whole of the month of October (in this year) should be consecrated to the Holy Queen of the Rosary” (Pope Leo XII; On Devotion of the Rosary, September 1, 1883).

https://stjosemaria.org/october-month-of-the-holy-rosary/

—“October: Month of the Holy Rosary,” St. Josemaria Institute, October 1, 2022

Each month of the liturgical year is devoted to a particular Catholic tradition, usually centered on a Feast during that month. As August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, September follows as the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows.

https://blog.aquinasandmore.com/september-is-the-month-of-our-lady-of-sorrows/

—“September Is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows,” Musings from a Catholic Bookstore

August Devotion

The month of August is dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament, and increased adoration of the Eucharist is encouraged. August is also dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and on August 15th, the church celebrates the Assumption of Mary into heaven.

September Devotion

September is traditionally dedicated to the Seven Sorrows (or Dolours) of Mary, and the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows falls in September. The Sorrows are: the prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the loss of the Holy Child at Jerusalem for three days, meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary, standing at the foot of the Cross, Jesus being taken from the Cross, and the burial of Christ. Read more about Our Lady of Sorrows in our article here.

Indulgences for devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows are three hundred days each day, and the devotions may be performed in public or private; a plenary indulgence on any day of September or 1-8 October under the usual conditions.

https://blog.aquinasandmore.com/monthly-devotions-of-the-church-year/

—“Monthly Catholic Devotions of the Church Year,” Musings from a Catholic Bookstore