A Brief Overview Of The Mother's Day Holiday

By Betty Kolano

In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed the second Sunday in May to be observed as “Mother’s Day.” As I take a trip down memory lane, I recall the elaborate May Crownings at my parish, St. Adalbert’s on the South Side of Pittsburgh, Pa. The president of the Sodality (an organization of young women) was usually selected to be the May Queen and crown the statue of the Blessed Mother in church. The procession involved the Queen’s Court, pages to carry the Queen’s cape, altar boys, and girls and boys in their first Holy Communion clothes, followed by the rest of the school children. Many Polish Marian hymns were sung, including “Serdeczna Matko,” “Witaj Marjo” and “Krolowej Anielskiej Spiewamy.”

Every May we also had a Tag Day and sold carnations –– red or pink if your mother was living and white if your mother had passed away. Women wore blue clothing and ribbons in honor of the Blessed Mother, and girls were known to plan their weddings in either May or October, the months of the rosary.

Poles are known for their devotion to the Mother of God. In 1656, King Casimir of Poland declared “Our Lady of Czestochowa” to be the Queen of Poland. She is remembered as a loving mother who hears the pleas of her children and aids them in times of trouble.
There is a famous shrine to Our Lady, also known as the “Black Madonna,” on Jasna Gora in south-central Poland. This icon is believed to have saved the Polish people from invasions and plagues over the centuries. Members of the Polish Falcons of America visit a similar shrine in Doylestown, Pa., every September.

When a woman becomes a mother, she is filled with love for the “angel” that God has sent her from above. She has the challenging task of shaping and molding this little “miracle of life” and protecting it from harm. My sisters and I were blessed to have a mother who was a great model. She instilled in us the values of church, education, fraternalism and family.

So whether you are a mother, step-mother, grandmother, godmother, foster-mother or a special care-giver for any child, this is the month to honor YOUR caring and unselfish love.

Happy Mother’s Day!