May is the Month of Mary!
Saint Ignatius Loyola Parish Crowns Our Blessed Mother

The evening was sunny and warm as more than one hundred parishioners of Saint Ignatius Loyola Parish gathered together in song and prayer to pay homage to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the church garden where Monsignor Donald T. Bennett, Pastor, crowned her statue with flowers after the 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday, May 9, 2009.  The May Crowning Ceremony, which was coordinated by the Saint Anne’s Mothers Prayer Group, was another special event in the Parish’s yearlong 150^th Anniversary celebration.

After the Mass, the Knights of Columbus Color Guard led the parishioners out the front of the church towards the Saint Ignatius Loyola Prayer Garden, where they were greeted by several young girls and boys of the Parish, who distributed Memorare Prayer Cards and beautiful flowers that would be laid at Mary’s feet after the crowning.  In honour of Mother’s day, all mothers in attendance were given special Rosary beads that were made by the Parish’s Martha Guild Rosary Makers.

Everyone gathered around the Shrine of the Holy Family while singing Marian hymns, led by the Parish Choir and the Spanish Music Ministry.  After reading Sacred Scripture and prayers, Monsignor Bennett crowned the Blessed Virgin Mary and then led the congregation in the praying together of the Memorare.

It was a beautiful way to express devotion to Mary, the Mother of our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus, whose self-less ‘yes’ is an inspiration to all who want to walk by faith and not by sight.

Below is the slideshow of the May Crowning pictures.   If the slideshow does not appear,  click here...