Queenship of Mary: Catholic Feast Day Guide (August 22)
One week after the Assumption, the Church proclaims Mary as Queen of Heaven and earth — not by competing with Christ, but as the Mother of the King who intercedes for the People of God.
The Queenship of Mary (August 22) proclaims Mary as Queen of heaven and earth by grace — one week after the Assumption. Catholics honor her with the Salve Regina, Litany of Loreto Queen titles, and the fifth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary.
The Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on August 22. Pope Pius XII established the feast in 1954, linking it to the Assumption and to the centenary of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. It crowns the Marian feasts at the end of summer in the U.S. liturgical calendar.
Why Catholics Call Mary Queen
In ancient Israel, the mother of the king held a royal office — the queen mother interceded with the king on behalf of the people (see 1 Kings 2:19–20). Mary is Mother of Christ the King; her queenship flows from her divine motherhood and her cooperation in redemption.
The Catechism teaches that Mary is "exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son" (CCC 966). She reigns by serving, pointing always to Christ rather than to herself.
Queenship and the Assumption
The Queenship feast was placed seven days after the Assumption because Mary must first be in heaven to be crowned. Art often shows Mary crowned by the Trinity or received into glory. The fifth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary — the Coronation — meditates on this truth.
American Catholics praying the Rosary in August naturally move from Assumption (August 15) to Queenship (August 22), deepening the same mystery across two liturgical celebrations.
Mass on August 22
- Memorial of the Queenship of Mary (not a Holy Day of Obligation in the USA).
- White vestments; readings may come from the Marian formulary or the weekday cycle.
- Opening antiphon: "Let us celebrate with joy the Queenship of the Virgin Mary."
- Some parishes hold processions with a crowned image of Our Lady.
Hail, Holy Queen (Salve Regina)
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.
Do Catholics Worship Mary as Queen?
No. Latria (adoration) belongs to God alone. Hyperdulia — the highest honor given to a creature — is given to Mary. Calling her Queen is honor, not worship. She reigns because her Son reigns; every Marian title leads back to Christ.
The Litany of Loreto includes multiple "Queen" titles — Queen of Angels, Queen of Peace, Queen assumed into heaven. The Queenship feast gathers those titles into one liturgical celebration for the whole Church.
How to Honor Mary as Queen
- Pray the Salve Regina or Litany of Loreto.
- Meditate on the fifth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary.
- Attend Mass on August 22 even though it is not of obligation.
- Entrust your family and nation to Mary's intercession — a custom on this feast.
- Read Pope Pius XII's encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam (1954) on Mary's queenship.
Queen Titles in the Litany of Loreto
The Queenship feast gathers Marian titles prayed throughout the year. From the Litany of Loreto, Catholics invoke Mary as:
- Queen of Angels
- Queen of Patriarchs
- Queen of Prophets
- Queen of Apostles
- Queen of Martyrs
- Queen of Confessors
- Queen of Virgins
- Queen of all Saints
- Queen conceived without original sin
- Queen assumed into heaven
- Queen of the most holy Rosary
- Queen of Peace
Praying these titles on August 22 connects private devotion to the liturgical feast. Many parishes recite the Litany of Loreto after Rosary or during May and August processions.
Mary Queen in American Catholic Life
Parishes named Queen of Peace, Queen of Angels, or Our Lady Queen of Heaven dot the American landscape. Immigrant communities brought crowned images of Mary in processions — Polish, Italian, Filipino, and Latin American traditions enrich August devotions. The feast reminds U.S. Catholics that Mary's maternal care extends to every parish and household.