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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Parish May Crownings

Fr. David Friel · May 4, 2014

RE YOU INVOLVED in your parish May Crowning? Planning for such festivities falls to a variety of people in different parishes and institutions. In some places, the event is planned directly by the local clergy, while in other places it is the purview of a liturgy planner, youth group, volunteer parent, or music director.

Many devotions fell out of favor for a time—Forty Hours, the rosary, novenas, etc. Mercifully, many of these devotions, including the May Crowning, have made and continue to make a strong resurgence. The May Crowning is a beautiful yearly opportunity to renew our love for Mary and to enlist her prayers. A strong devotional life in the parish church will naturally support and strengthen its liturgical vitality.

In most situations, preparations for this beloved annual tradition probably begin with a familiar question: What did we do last year? Since the May Crowning is a devotion with no specific, mandated form, that question is a fair place to begin. Some elements are widely incorporated: the presentation of a crown of roses by a selected lady, May poles, prayers seeking Mary’s protection, and hymns sung in honor of the Blessed Virgin. Inasmuch as a May Crowning is not a liturgical occasion, there is great freedom concerning what might constitute the ceremony. There can be songs, flowers, processions, a children’s choir, a litany, a sermon, and other celebratory components.

The National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) published a special volume in 1987, entitled, Order of Crowning an Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The title of this document can be misleading. Its purpose is not actually to provide a script for the May Crowning devotion, but rather to furnish a ritual for the one-time coronation of a special Marian statue with a bejeweled gold or silver crown. Ideally, the document envisions that this rite would be carried out by the diocesan bishop, or at least by another deputed bishop or priest.

Although the Order of Crowning an Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary does not specifically apply to the annual May Crowning ceremony, it may still serve as a useful resource in planning the yearly parish celebration of Mary. The structure of the rite, and even some of the prayers, readings, & intercessions provided, can serve as a starting point for formulating a parish May Crowning ceremony.

Not least among the many aspects of a good May Crowning is the musical dimension. The Order of Crowning suggests the singing of antiphons and hymns, including several Marian chants: Salve Regina, Sub Tuum Praesidium, Ave, Regina Caelorum, Alma Redemptoris Mater, Regina Caeli. American Catholics have a notably strong tradition of vernacular Marian hymns, too, which might well accompany the annual celebration.

Building up devotional celebrations and celebrating them well is an easy way for the parish church to foster greater love among its parishioners for Jesus, Mary, the Eucharist, and the Church universal.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Catholic Youth Choirs, USCCB Secretariat of Divine Worship Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Like all other liturgical functions, like offices and ranks in the Church, indeed like everything else in the world, the religious service that we call the Mass existed long before it had a special technical name.”

— ‘Rev. Adrian Fortescue (THE MASS, page 397)’

Recent Posts

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  • The Tallis Scholars
  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
  • Pope Saint Paul VI to Consilium (14 October 1968)

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