Does your church still hold a May Procession/Crowning?

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I am curious as to how many parishes still have a May Procession and Crowning during this month of Our Lady. This appears to be a tradition which has been done away with in many areas, unfortunately.
What was the reason that this “died out” ? Does anyone know ?
Does YOUR parish retain this lovely custom ?:confused:
 
Yes! My parish held a May Crowning last Wed. Unfortunately it was poorly attended. It was a beautiful service though.
 
Yes! It was a part of the first communion mass this morning. And my daughter attends the local parish school and the may crowning is scheduled for May 22nd.
 
PatriceA said:
Yes! It was a part of the first communion mass this morning. And my daughter attends the local parish school and the may crowning is scheduled for May 22nd.
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I’ve never seen such a crowning, so I’m curious in what way it could possibly be made “part of a mass.” Shouldn’t it be done after Mass?
 
Would you both call the parishes you belong to "traditional’ ?
It seems the traditional parishes carry on this practice.

I have very fond memories of this custom from Catholic grade school. It was a huge deal and very well attended. We would process around the church grounds forming a human rosary and the girl chosen as the May Queen wore a fancy blue dress and a cape. A small boy dressed as a “page” in a white outfit with a big hat carried the crown on a pillow in front of her.

People brought flowers from their gardens and the nuns made a beautiful shrine for the statue for the event. They made arbors covered in flowers that we would pass under throughout the procession as we said the rosary and sang the old hymns. Afterward, the ladies in the parish would serve cake and cookies and punch, coffee, etc. It was indeed a beautiful ceremony.🙂
 
I’m another who has never experienced a May crowning, even though I grew up in the 50s and 60s. Apparently they did this at the convent school in the next town, as I see from pictures that have been posted to that town’s Facebook page, but it didn’t happen at home that I’m aware of.
 
MarkThompson said:
I’ve never seen such a crowning, so I’m curious in what way it could possibly be made “part of a mass.” Shouldn’t it be done after Mass?
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My last parish and my current parish both have crownings. But (as you rightly noted) it’s not during the mass, it’s usually after the “children’s” mass.

Pax,
OA
 
i think our women’s club does something, but it does not include the whole parish, just a little something the women’s club does. they have a procession and each woman lays a rose for Mary. it is tomorrow evening and i have never been to it before.
 
Our parish had the May Crowining today. The children processed in right before the priests and servers with flowers. A little girl who had made her First Holy Communion yesterday held the crown.

After Mass several adults placed flowers around the statue of the BVM.

It was very beautiful.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette
 
Why yes! 👍 We have it every year on the first Sunday in May during Mass. Since First Communion has been moved to this date also, one of the female First Communicants crowns the statue of the Virgin Mary. We sing a song called “Bring Flowers of the Fairest” after the Eucharist during Sunday Mass. Kind of thought every parish did this, but upon reading the other comments, I see this is not the case.
 
I believe so, yes. But unfortunately, I rarely go because of school. When I do I make the most of it.
 
Gardenman said:
Would you both call the parishes you belong to "traditional’ ?
It seems the traditional parishes carry on this practice.
Click to expand...
Hmmm…I guess that depends on what you mean by “traditional”. We are not a TLM parish. We are strictly an OF parish. Our church style is traditional in the sense that it was built in 1860, I believe, and has the center aisle, stained glass windows, organ, all the architecture of that era which gives the church a traditional feel. Our servers wear the cassock and suplice, not just albs. Our priest is solidly orthodox and has a great devotion to Mary.
 
yes, before every Mass the first Sunday of May, the school has theirs the Friday closest to Mothers Day, I think, in conjunction with their breakfast for mothers. She is banked with flowers, lovely. CCD has it during all sessions on the last day of classes in May, followed by a family fiesta. We do children’s liturgy of the Word using readings for Jan 1, procession, crowning, songs are English or Spanish or bilingual depending on the group. they make or bring flowers, and are allowed to take them with them to Mass for Mary.
 
Yes, my parish had its May Crowning at the end of the First Communion Mass on Mother’s Day. Also, my parish study group did our May Crowning during Vespers last Wednesday.
 
We had 2! One on a Sunday, after Mass outside at the shrine. Our preschool also had one. It is one of my favorite traditions and and a wonderful excuse to sing some of my favorite hymns:)
 
No crowning so far as I know but the churhc serving my home parish* held a procession towards the end of Mass this Sunday just gone, in which the children brought flowers and placed them before a statue of Our Lady specially placed in the chancel for that purpose. I am pleased to say that my daughter took part!

*in South Wales, UK
 
I know the CCD classes have a May Crowning ceremony, and will in two weeks. It is a ceremony in Church. I never really understood the creation of this event.
 
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