E.A. Bucchianeri ~ Author ~ Official Site

Month of Mary

Queen of France

Mary’s Kingdom in the History and Faith of France

“Behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”

~ Luke 1:48

For centuries, the people of France turned to the Blessed Virgin in prayer, pilgrimage, thanksgiving, and times of national trial. Cathedrals rose in her honour; kings entrusted their realms to her protection; shrines preserved the memory of extraordinary graces; and generations of the faithful invoked her as their Mother and Queen.

In Month of Mary—Queen of France, Fr. Marin de Boylesve, S.J. presents thirty-one meditations illuminating Mary’s place in Scripture and the divine plan. Each reflection is accompanied by an episode from France’s remarkable Marian heritage—opening a window onto ancient sanctuaries, celebrated apparitions, miraculous images, treasured relics, royal vows, and enduring traditions of devotion.

First published in French and now available in English, this work invites readers of every nation to discover a largely unfamiliar chapter of Catholic history and to deepen their own devotion to the Mother of God.

A Marian Pilgrimage Through France

France provides the setting, but the spiritual inheritance explored here

belongs to the universal Church.

Fr. de Boylesve leads the reader from the great cathedrals and celebrated sanctuaries to lesser-known places of pilgrimage whose histories are seldom encountered by English-speaking Catholics. Among them are Notre-Dame de Chartres and the Veil of the Blessed Virgin; Notre-Dame des Victoires; the Miraculous Medal; Notre-Dame du Laus; Notre-Dame de Grâce at Cotignac; Notre-Dame du Puy; and numerous historic shrines throughout Paris, Provence, Anjou, and the Loire Valley.

The meditations also explore the relationship between Marian devotion and the history of Christian France, including the Vow of Louis XIII, the devotion of French saints and rulers, and the country’s traditional recognition of the Blessed Virgin as its heavenly Queen.

Together, these accounts reveal how devotion to Mary shaped not only churches and places of pilgrimage, but the spiritual life, art, culture, and collective memory of a nation.

Inside This Edition

This first English edition includes:

Thirty-one meditations on Mary in Scripture and salvation history

Accounts of historic French Marian shrines and pilgrimages

Traditions concerning apparitions, miraculous images, and sacred relics

The history of the Miraculous Medal and Notre-Dame des Victoires

The Vow of Louis XIII and other connections between Marian devotion and French history

A biography of Fr. Marin de Boylesve, S.J.

Forty-five illustrations and explanatory annotations

Traditional Marian Devotions

The appendixes contain detailed information and traditional ceremonies associated with:

The Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

The Blue Scapular of the Immaculate Conception

The Red Scapular of the Passion

The Chaplet of the Ten Evangelical Virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary

A Treasury for Catholics Everywhere

Month of Mary—Queen of France will particularly appeal to readers interested in Marian devotion, Catholic history, sacred places, traditional spirituality, and the enduring influence of the Mother of God upon Christian civilization.

Although rooted in the history of France, its message is universal: every generation is invited to know, honour, imitate, and confidently seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.