That's right, welcome to May, the month of Mary. Ave Maria! The bishops of the United States unanimously chose the Blessed Virgin Mary as patroness of our country, on 13 May 1846.
Mary also became patroness of the Diocese of Lansing upon its creation in 1937. The diocesan motto is "Iuxta Crucem Iesu" which is taken from Saint John’s account of the Crucifixion: “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen.” (John 19:25)
“The motto was chosen by Bishop Boyea in order to re-consecrate our diocese to the maternal care of our patroness, the Immaculate Virgin Mary,” explains Michael Andrews, Chancellor of the Diocese of Lansing.
“The Blessed Mother stands near the Lord’s Cross: the great sign of our redemption. It was there that the Lord gave Mary to us – his beloved disciples – to be our Mother, too. She stands near each believer through every joy and every cross we experience.”
This Christian custom of dedicating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin Mary arose at the end of the 13th century.
“During this month Christians, both in church and in the privacy of the home, offer up to Mary from their hearts an especially fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration,” explained Pope Saint Paul VI in his 1965 encyclical on prayer during May for the preservation of peace, Mense Maio.
Hence it is not uncommon in Catholic households across the world to embrace the month of May as an opportunity, amongst other things, to pray the Holy Rosary; recite or sing the midday Marian anthem; or to undertake a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine.
Holy Mary, Patroness of the Diocese of Lansing, pray for us!