70 years ago, Pope Pius XII instituted a new feast day in honor of Our Lady – the Memorial of the Queenship of Mary. In his encyclical “Ad Caeli Reginam,” he proclaimed:
“From the earliest ages of the Catholic Church, a Christian people…has addressed prayers of petition and hymns of praise and veneration to the Queen of Heaven. And never has that hope wavered which they placed in the Mother of the Divine King, Jesus Christ; nor has that faith ever failed by which we are taught that Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, reigns with a mother’s solicitude over then entire world, just as she is crowned in heavenly blessedness with the glory of a Queen.”
As we celebrate the Blessed Mother under this title on August 22, we invite you to explore seven places you can find her portrayed as Queen at the Basilica.
1. The Coronation of Mary Chapel
In the Coronation of Mary Chapel in the Great Upper Church, Jesus is depicted as the King of Kings, honoring his mother Mary by seating her on a throne next to him and giving her a heavenly crown. Encircling her head are twelve stars, which symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel. Beneath the depiction of Mary and Jesus is the Old Testament parallel to Mary’s Coronation: Bathsheba, the Queen Mother, receiving honor from her son, King Solomon, as he seats her next to him on his throne (1 King 2:19). The two panels are joined by the text from Revelation: “On her head is a crown of twelve stars,” (12:1).
2. The Rosary Garden
Dedicated in 2017, the Basilica’s Rosary Walk and Garden features mosaic depictions of the mysteries of the rosary, including the Fifth Glorious Mystery, the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth by the Holy Trinity: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
3. The Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu Oratory
The Oratory of Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu in the Crypt Church features a mosaic reproduction of the 1619 painting, Madonna Ta’ Pinu. Depicted in glittering gold tiles, angels surround Mary as they lift her from her tomb and place a crown on her head. On the floor in front of the mosaic are the islands of Gozo and Malta. According to Catholic tradition, over 140 years ago, the Blessed Mother directed a woman on the island of Gozo to pray in the Chapel of Ta’ Pinu, an event which resulted in many turning to her for help and healing. Today, the devotion to Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu emphasizes Mary’s role as a protector of the faithful.
4. The Our Lady of Brezje Chapel
While the original painting of Our Lady of Brezje (also known as Mary, Help of Christians), was completed in 1814 by artist Leopold Layer and resides in the Church of St. Vitus in Brezje, Slovenia, a copy of the painting is also featured in the Our Lady of Brezje Chapel in the National Shrine. In this depiction, the infant Jesus is shown reaching up and touching Mary’s face, and both Mary and Jesus wear ornate gold crowns crafted by goldsmith Alojz Źmuc. Many miracles have been attributed to Mary under this title as patroness of Slovenia.
5. The Mary, Queen of All Hearts Chapel
Located in the Basilica’s Great Upper Church, the Mary, Queen of All Hearts Chapel features a Botticino reredo which depicts Mary kneeling by the crib of the infant Jesus, offering Him to the world as she is crowned by angels on either side. The propagators of the devotion to the Blessed Mother, Saint Louis de Montfort and Marie-Louise de Jésus, appear below her. The chapel is inscribed with a prayer that reads:
“Father, you have given us the Mother of Your Son to be our Queen and Mother. With the support of her prayers may we come to share the glory of your children in the kingdom of heaven. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, Forever and Ever.”
6. The Mary, Queen of Ireland Oratory
The Mary, Queen of Ireland Oratory features the statue of Our Lady and the Holy Child. In this depiction, Mary holds Jesus tenderly on her knee. The hexagonal rock formation on which the statue is placed represents the Giant’s Causeway, an area in Northern Ireland where volcanic activity created a pattern of basalt columns on the coast of the sea. Surrounding the statue, mosaics and carvings depict the history of Irish Catholics and their devotion to Mary.
7. The Mary, Queen of Missions Chapel
At the Basilica, the Mary, Queen of Missions Chapel depicts Mary as queen in a Venetian glass mosaic. She is crowned with twelve stars, holding a globe surmounted by a cross, with the moon and the serpent beneath her feet (Revelation 12:1). On either side of Mary are men and women from the various continents and cultures evangelized by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, including the Asian-Pacific, South America, and the Arctic Circle.
Source:
Rohling, Geraldine M., PhD, MAEd. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: Guide and Tour Book. Washington, D.C.: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 2018.