Mary Mother and Queen

**Mary Mother and Queen** (Italian: *Maria Madre e Regina*, Latin: *Maria Mater et Regina*) is a Marian title honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary in her dual role as the Mother of God and Queen of Heaven. The title combines two fundamental aspects of Catholic Marian devotion: Mary's divine maternity, affirmed at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD when she was declared *Theotokos* (God-bearer), and her queenship, formally established by Pope Pius XII in his 1954 encyclical *Ad Caeli Reginam*. The feast of the Queenship of Mary is celebrated on August 22. The most prominent shrine dedicated to Mary under this title is the **National Shrine of Mary Mother and Queen** (*Santuario Nazionale a Maria Madre e Regina*) at Monte Grisa, Trieste, Italy. The shrine was built between 1959 and 1966 following a vow made by Bishop Antonio Santin during World War II. On April 30, 1945, as the city faced potential destruction, Bishop Santin promised to build a church in Mary's honor if Trieste was spared. The city survived, and Pope John XXIII approved the construction of a national shrine dedicated to Mary as Mother and Queen, intended as a symbol of peace and unity among all peoples. The striking triangular structure of the Monte Grisa temple, designed by architect Antonio Guacci, incorporates the letter "M" throughout its design as a tribute to Mary. Pope John Paul II visited the shrine on May 1, 1992.