May Altars in Honour of Our Lady
May is the month when Catholics traditionally focus on Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May is
seen as the beginning of new life and the start of summer, which makes this a logical time for
the celebrations of Mary who brought life into the world. This is also a lovely time to create a
small ‘May Altar’ in your home or garden to pay tribute to Mary. Adults may like to do this or
it might become a project for the young people in the house – especially those preparing for
First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
We are inviting you to reconnect with this beautiful tradition and share a photo of your May
Altar with us by emailing it to stjohns@ossory.ie. We will try to feature some of your pictures
on our parish website.
Your Altar can simply consist of a small statue, if you have one, or you could also use a picture of Mary from a prayer card or prayer book or even ask your children/grandchildren to
draw a picture of Mary. Add to this a candle (be careful and don’t leave a lighted candle unattended) and some flowers, perhaps a set of rosary beads or a small crucifix too if you like. Any
flowers can be used for your home altar, it is surprising the amount of small, colourful flowers
that are available at this time of year.
A nice idea is to have a chair or stool nearby to encourage family members to stop and sit, and
perhaps offer prayers to Mary during the day. the family might gather there for a short prayer
before bedtime. We look forward to receiving pictures of your May Altars.