By Rita Swartz
May Crowning began under the hot midday sun with a procession through the garden to the grotto. As we sang “Immaculate Mary” it was easy to see that many Residents knew the song by heart. Together we prayed three decades of the Rosary. Each “Hail Mary” was introduced by a Resident or a Little Sister in a different language: English, Spanish, Croatian, German, Tagalog, Navaho, Italian, French, Cantonese and Sicilian. It was beautiful to honor Mary as the queen of heaven and earth in so many languages. As the crown of flowers was placed on the statue of Mary, we sang “O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today! Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May”. It was a lovely devotional ceremony that continues a tradition many learned as children.
