AMM ‘Flores de Mayo’ 2025

By AMM Marsfield

Statue of Our Lady of Grace (Miraculous Medal) in the Philippines
Swarm Cheng, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Join us for a special event, ‘Flores de Mayo‘, in honoring Our Blessed Mother. We will commence with a beautiful procession around the church, offering prayers, flowers, and saying the Holy Rosary. This will then lead to the first Saturday of the month Miraculous Medal novena mass inside the church.

Date – 3rd May 2025, Saturday
Time – 9:40 a.m.
Place – St Anthony’s Church, 54 Agincourt Road, Marsfield, NSW

Bring your family, flower offering, prayers and food-to-share in this sacred and meaningful celebration! Light refreshments to be provided after the novena mass. Feel free to Contact Us or email at info@amm.org.au for any questions. 

By Bianca Kallukaran published ast year,

The month of May is traditionally dedicated to Our Lady. This tradition began as early as the 13th century. In the Northern Hemisphere, May is considered a season of growth and flourishing. It is also a time for the renewal of nature. This period is closely connected to the Incarnation. It is when Mary gave her “yes” to God. She birthed our Lord Jesus Christ into the world. This devotion became even more popular in the 1700s. It gained popularity among students in the Jesuit Order. It was also celebrated in the Gesu Church in Rome. This led to its spread to the wider church. Interestingly, in Italy, the Flores De Mayo devotion started among the Jesuit Orders. Its purpose was to “counteract immorality and infidelity” among its students. It then spread to the other churches in the Latin Rite.

Many Popes have strongly advocated devotion to Our Lady in the church. This is especially true from the 19th century onward. Pope Pius IX declared the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854. Pope Pius XII wrote about it in his encyclical on the Sacred Liturgy Mediator Dei in 1947. Pope Paul VI included it in his encyclical Mense Maio in 1965. Around 1854, the devotion became an integral part of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. This occurred during the time of Spanish colonization. Every year in May, flowers are offered to Our Lady. This happens daily across the Philippines. Read more at Vatican News: Flores de Mayo: Commemoration of Mary in the Philippines

It is also no coincidence that many Marian Feasts occur in May: 13th – Our Lady of Fatima, 24th – Help of Christians, and 31st – the Visitation). During this time the faithful are encouraged to foster and renew their devotions to Our Lady as Mother of Jesus and of the Church especially through the Rosary, Marian Novenas and Processions.