Dear Parishioners of Mary Immaculate and Saint Rose,
      During the month of May we particularly honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus. This Sunday we also honor our own mothers, living and deceased, as we observe Mother's Day. It seems to be a very human inclination to want to show love and honor to our mothers. 
Catholics are often accused of worshipping Mary. To an outsider, it probably does seem as if our religion gives a great amount of attention to the Virgin Mary. We have a great number of feasts that celebrate events in the life of Mary. We have innumerable titles that give honor to Mary. We pray the Rosary in which we begin Hail Mary. We have two months of the year dedicated to Mary, May and October, the month of the Holy Rosary. We have a day of the week set aside to honor Mary... Saturday. We believe that Mary has appeared in various places of the world to encourage us to turn away from sin and turn toward her son Jesus. May 13th is the Feast of our Lady of Fatima. 
So there is a great deal of attention given to Mary by the Catholic Church, but in giving honor to Mary we always give honor to her son, Jesus. Mary always points us to Jesus. We honor Mary not only is the Mother of Jesus but we take seriously the gift of Mary as our Mother from the Cross. When Jesus said to Saint John from the cross, “Behold your Mother,” we believe that through John, Jesus was giving all Christians the gift of Mary. If we view other Christians and how they worship, I am always amazed at how little attention that they give to Mary. Why would Jesus be born of a woman if he wanted us just to ignore her? But then it is always difficult to look at and understand things from a different point of view. 
Usually in May we have a May crowning. This happens at the first school Mass in May so that our children can sing, bring flowers and crown the statue of Mary. This year is a bit different since school is not in session and we aren't having Masses in the church. But we still want to remember that during this month of May we want to reflect on the role that Mary played in bringing Jesus into the world. 
We know that she was a young peasant girl from the outermost edges of the Roman Empire. She was a member of a small and even despised religious community. Yet in her role as the Mother of the Son of God, we recognize that this simple woman is the greatest human being who has ever lived. No other person has had such an intimate relationship with God. So we honor her as Queen of Heaven and Earth, because that is the greatest title that we can think to bestow upon her. 
As we go through this month of May, we put ourselves under Mary's protection. We pray that she will keep us safe as we begin a more public form of worship. We ask her to intercede for us so that we can love and serve her son Jesus with greater devotion.

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia 
For He whom thou didst merit to bear, alleluia
Hath risen as He said, alleluia
Pray for us to God, alleluia

Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia
Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia

Msgr. Cox

Coronation of the Virgin, Velasquez (1644)