Saint Benedict Parish Celebrates 101 Years of Devotion to Mary, Queen of May

UNITY TWP. — When parishioners at St. Benedict Parish first crowned the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of May, in 1925, a motorist could buy a gallon of gas for 12 cents, and black‑and‑white talking motion pictures were still two years in the future.

Much has changed since that first devotional celebration.

If you pump 12 cents of gas into your tank today, the needle on your fuel gauge doesn’t budge, and technology has merged sight and sound into epic, full‑color spectacles in modern theaters.

Since 1925, nine popes served the Church at the Holy See, but in 101 years, one thing hasn’t changed: the devotion of the Greensburg parish’s faithful to the Blessed Mother.

On Sunday, May 3, the St. Benedict Rosary Altar Society carried the cherished May Crowning tradition into its second century in a ceremony presenting fresh spring flowers, prayers, hymns, and loving hearts to Mary, Queen of Angels, Mary, Queen of May.

As the congregation joined in singing beloved Marian hymns, the celebration opened with a procession of women and girls from the parish who were invited to carry carnations into the sanctuary.

Participants created an archway with the long‑stemmed flowers in the center aisle of the church, and this year’s May Queen and her court advanced under it as they processed toward the altar and the parish’s statue of Mary.

After hearing the readings for the day, a responsorial psalm, and a reflection by Father Ken Zaccagnini, pastor of St. Benedict Parish, this year’s May Queen, Nataly Smyntek, adorned the statue of Mary with a crown of fresh flowers as the ceremony came to its conclusion.

As this year’s celebration looked forward to a new century of devotion, organizers paid homage to May Crownings of the past by listing all of the May Queens who have honored the Blessed Mother since 1925 in this year’s worship aid.

According to documents provided by the parish, St. Benedict’s tradition has roots in a 1925 proclamation by Pope Pius XI, who instituted the Feast of Christ the King. The proclamation established Christ as King of the Universe and Mary as our Queen Mother.

Crowning Mary reached new popularity in the parish’s life as a result.

Also in 1925, Pope Pius XI designated that year as a Universal Jubilee Year, calling the world’s faithful to Rome for a year of prayer, penance, and celebration.

The Jubilee Year helped Catholics feel more connected globally, and local parishes started new traditions like May Crownings to mirror the major events held at the Vatican that year.

In his reflection at this year’s crowning, Father Zaccagnini expressed great optimism that the parish’s 101‑year tradition will continue to bloom long into the future.

“We should always honor the Blessed Mother because we are proud of her and what she has done for us,” he said. “She opened her heart to give birth to and raise Jesus with the help of St. Joseph.

“We are proud of her. She makes our lives complete.”