9 Beautiful Ways to Honour Mary Throughout May

May is a month set aside by the Church to honour our Blessed Mother. Here are nine meaningful and family-friendly ways to honour Mary this month.

1. Set up a prayer altar for Mary

More than a decorative corner, a family prayer altar is a sacred space that serves as a visual reminder of the need for God. It is a beautiful way to invite family members to spend time with Him in stillness and prayer.

While a prayer altar can be kept year-round, May is the perfect month to decorate it in honour of Our Lady. Start with a blue or white cloth, and place an icon or statue of Mary at the centre. Adorn the altar with beautiful flowers (to make it extra special for the children, go on a nature walk or a trip to the shops to pick flowers for Mary!). Include a candle and perhaps photos of family members with Marian names, offering prayers for them in a special way.

2. May crowning: Crown Mary Queen of your home

Crowning Mary in May is a simple and beautiful tradition to start with your family to honour her as Queen of Heaven. It is also a great practice to do with a larger group–whether a Catholic mothers’ group, your school community, or local parish.

Choose a statue of Mary and construct a crown of flowers that will fit your chosen statue. Fresh flowers are beautiful, though artificial flowers will last the month of May. During the crowning, sing a Marian hymn, place more flowers before the statue or light a candle. You may wish to follow this with some form of prayer to Mary–a decade of the Rosary, or simply a Hail Holy Queen.

To find out more, including how to make a crown, read May Crowning at Home: A Simple Guide for Catholic Families.

3. Foster daily Marian devotion in the family

May is a perfect time to encourage Marian devotion in our children and deepen our own prayer life. As a family, choose some prayers to incorporate into your day. Great options include:

the Rosary;
the Angelus (at 6am, 12pm or 6pm);
the Memorare;
the Litany of the Blessed Virgin;
the Three Hail Mary Devotion
a novena to Mary.

Another option is to learn about an unfamiliar Marian title. Endeavour to adopt a special devotion to her throughout the month. Popular devotions include Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady Undoer of Knots, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

4. Consecration of self to Mary

Many saints have recommended making a formal consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This act entrusts your soul unreservedly to her—surrendering your will, prayers, and actions—so she may lead you more perfectly to Christ. A consecrated person seeks to imitate Mary’s complete “yes” to God and allows her to guide their spiritual life.

St. Louis de Montfort, a 17th-century French priest, centered his spirituality on entrustment to Mary. In his book, True Devotion to Mary, he offers a 33-day program of prayers and readings to prepare for a formal act of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. Similar guides are also available. To learn more, read our blog post: Total Consecration to Mary: Everything You Need to Know.

5. Begin the First Five Saturday devotion

In 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, delivering a message of repentance and peace. Eight years later, she asked the eldest visionary, Lucia, to promote reparation for sins committed against her Immaculate Heart.

This reparation is known as the First Five Saturdays devotion. Mary promised those who observe it her assistance at the hour of death and the graces necessary for salvation. The devotion consists of the following on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, with the intention of making reparation:

Go to Confession
Receive Holy Communion
Pray the Rosary
Meditate for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary

6. Read about Mary

Just as knowledge of Christ helps increase our love for Him, so does increasing our knowledge of the Blessed Virgin. Choose a book about her to read this month. Some top recommendations include:

Hail, Holy Queen by Scott Hahn

The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander
The Imitation of Mary by Thomas A. Kempis
Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary by Brant Pitre
The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis de Montfort

7. Enrol in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

The Brown Scapular, worn under the clothing, is a sign of devotion to Mary and a pledge of her protection. In the 13th century, Our Lady gave the Scapular to St. Simon Stock, saying:

“Take this Scapular, it shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger and a pledge of peace. Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.”

If you’re not already enrolled, May is a wonderful time to begin. Start by learning about the Scapular and Carmelite spirituality. Then, ask a Catholic priest to enrol you and your family—a simple rite involving Scripture and a blessing. Wear it faithfully, and trust in the graces Mary promises to those who do.

8. Imitate Mary’s virtues

Mary, who is the Immaculate Conception, lived a life of heroic virtue to complete perfection. St. Louis de Montfort identifies ten principal virtues she exemplified. They are:

Profound humility
Lively faith
Blind obedience
Continual prayer
Universal mortification (continual self-denial)
Divine purity
Ardent charity
Heroic patience
Angelic sweetness
Divine wisdom

Choose one virtue as a family to focus on during May. Here are a few ways to integrate it:

Write the virtue on a card and place it on your prayer altar as a visual reminder.
Talk about the virtue at mealtimes (what it means and why it matters).
Encourage each family member to name a way they’ll live it out that week.
Ask Mary in prayer to help you grow in this virtue.
Read stories of the saints and note how they lived it.

9. Evangelise to someone about Mary

Spend some time reflecting on what Mary means to you, what you admire most about her, how she has touched your life in some way, and how she draws you closer to Christ. Look for an opportunity to share this with someone. It could be a friend in need of encouragement, someone lukewarm in faith, or someone unfamiliar with Mary’s role in salvation history.

Mary is the first evangelist; she carried Jesus within her and shared Him with the world. Let’s share with others the truth that “Mary is the safest, easiest, shortest and most perfect way of approaching Jesus” because we “never give more honour to Jesus than when we honour his Mother.” – St Louis de Montfort.

However you choose to honour Our Lady this May, know that each small act of love and devotion brings joy to her Immaculate Heart and draws your family closer to Jesus. Pick one or two ideas to begin with, and ask Mary to gently lead your family deeper into grace.

Let us know in the comments: Which of these practices do you intend to employ in this month of May?