May Crowning

It was a custom in my US parishes that a statue of Mary is crowned during the month of May. We usually had a little girl crowning the statue with a garland of colorful flowers. It is not as common here in Malta, although there are plenty of statues and memorials dedicated to Mary during this month, the most popular of which is on May 13, the feast of Our Lady Fatima as well as the celebration of Our Lady of Pompeii celebrated on May 8, the day Pope Leo XIV was elected Pope and he actually acknowledged her feast day that day from the balcony of the Vatican basilica. The picture seen here is a statue in my last parish at St. Francis of Assisi in Bend, Oregon, just crowned by the children, followed by a few prayers, the recitation of the Rosary, my playing of the Ave Maria on the flute and also the transcription I made of the Gregorian Salve Regina, again on my flute. We pray that Mary continue to spread a message of love and peace among families, and especially among the people suffering so much in Ukraine, Gaza and the entire Middle East region.