Why Today?
August 22nd celebrates the memorial of the Queenship of Mary over Heaven and Earth. Essentially, her Coronation Day!
An integral part of the Fidelis Program is excellence in the practice of virtue. This culminates in the Coronation Ceremony of a Fidelis Sister, the point in which she becomes a Fidelis Lady.
At the Coronation Ceremony, a crown is placed on the head of these Fidelis Sisters who have exemplified this excellence in virtue and service. Through the placement of the crown they are set apart for a special calling to continue to give witness to a life of virtue and to serve with Marian humility.
The perfect woman, the perfection of virtue and the ultimate example for us as Catholic women is, of course, Our Lady.
Today, as we celebrate the Memorial of the Queenship of Mary, will you help to support the Fidelis Mission? No gift is to too small or too large.
With your help we can grow the Fidelis program and invite women of all ages into a Sisterhood and Virtue with Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, as our ultimate guide!
Why a Fidelis Crown?
In the Bible the placement of a crown on one’s head represents that one is set apart for a particular task or calling and indicated the consecration of the wearer to their new role. It was and remains today a symbol of honor as well as a symbol of admittance into royalty. At baptism we all are made members of the body of Christ and are admitted into this royal family as Children of God Receiving a crown at the Fidelis coronation reminds the Fidelis sister of her baptismal promise and sets her apart for her new role as she enters into the world of adulthood with the acknowledgment that she is a daughter of the King.
In Proverbs, the connection between wisdom and personal virtue is clear. A life of Virtue is a life of Wisdom. Proverbs proclaims that there are only two paths to be taken in life; the way of the wise and the way of the foolish. However, a successful life means that we must always be searching for the wise path, the virtuous path, especially since new situations will constantly present themselves demanding new choices to be made. Therefore, the crown serves as a reminder that if the Fidelis sister embraces Virtue, a glorious crown will be bestowed on her. (Proverbs 4:5-9)
The crown too, symbolizes the hope we all have to receive a reward for our Fidelity as St. Paul writes in his second letter to Timothy. “For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but to all who have longed for his appearance.” (2 Tim 4: 6-8)
It represents us as human beings (both male and female) as the summit or “crown” of creation. Just as the ring in a marriage represents the endless love, between a man and woman, the ring of the Crown represents the Father’s endless love for his children, who are the crown of his creation and who, in full circle, will be crowned again in Heaven.
The placing of a crown on one’s head is not a right reserved for only males or females, but of all royalty and thus the Fidelis coronation reminds us of our Baptismal mission of priest, prophet, and king.
