With this feast day the Church proclaims that Mary is Queen of Heaven because she so closely collaborated with Christ in the plan of salvation.

We call Jesus “Lord” and celebrate the feast of Christ the King in November, all the while recalling that his kingship is defined by his willingness to lay down his life for us. This model of leadership through service was taken up perfectly by Mary.

Mary laid down her life for us as well—she set herself aside when she said “yes” to God’s invitation to bear Jesus into the world. From that moment on, she remained close to Jesus, walking with him for every step of his earthly journey—including his ministry, suffering, and death. This closeness is depicted in an image in the Cavanaugh Hall chapel—Mary contemplates a crown of thorns while holding the infant Jesus.

This is why we revere Mary as Queen—we recognize her special place in the plan of salvation, while recalling that her queenship is really a participation in the lordship of Jesus. This is our calling as well—to conform ourselves to Christ by laying down our lives as Mary did.

This feast falls a week after the feast of Mary’s Assumption because major feasts in the Church are celebrated for a period of eight days (known as an “octave”). Mary’s coronation as Queen of Heaven is imagined in several scenes in the Basilica and in chapels across campus. The reliquary in the Basilica contains a fragment of Mary’s veil.

Mary, Queen of Heaven, you laid down your life with Christ, pray for us!