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.