What Happened to Our Lady’s crown?
You may have noticed that Our Lady’s crown has been missing. It is currently on loan to the Saint Jude Liturgical Arts Studio, who are taking measurements and making a mold of the crown for a potential future design.
Since the founding of our parish under Archbishop John Carroll, the faithful of Alexandria have maintained particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. For centuries, members of our congregation have entrusted their prayers, works, joys and sufferings of daily life to the patronage and protection of Our Lady. In 2025, our Basilica parish will observe two important milestones: the 230th anniversary of our canonical parish, and the 130thanniversary of the statue of the Immaculate Conception that graces our Sanctuary. Research indicates that our statue of the Immaculate Conception is the oldest, continuously venerated statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Diocese of Arlington.
To mark next year’s important milestone, and as an act of our devotion and love for Mary, our patron, we anticipate crowning the statue of Our Lady in an Episcopal Coronation. An Episcopal Coronation is an act performed by a local Bishop or Archbishop, formally expressed through a Decree of Coronation, issued by the local Chancery. This decree acknowledges the long-standing devotion to or veneration of a certain Marian image, under a specific title, within a particular locality. While Episcopal Coronation is not a prerequisite for Canonical Coronation, it often serves as a stepping stone towards such goals as implemented or practiced.
The beautiful gold-plated floral crown that normally adorns the statue of Our Lady will be incorporated into a new design for a crown to be used in the Episcopal Coronation ceremony, which is scheduled to occur on Dec. 8, 2024, with Bishop Burbidge presiding. In the meantime, we continue to crown Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception, with our prayers and love.
(Special thanks to Mary Petrino and Virginia Nyce for their contributions to this article.)