Article by PhoenixOnline writer Julia Juszczak ’28
On Thursday, May 21, students, faculty, and family gathered in the lush green of the schools’ front entrance to witness and honor the crowning of Mary by Math teacher Mrs. Accardi.
The crown, made out of flowers symbolizing Mary’s purity, sorrow, and grace, is placed upon the statue of the Virgin Mother located right on the fascia in front of the school, providing a heartwarming and comforting Marianist welcome to Kellenberg.
Partnered with the Carle Place Fire Department, Mrs. Accardi had the privilege to go up with school Chaplain Fr. Thomas Cardone, S.M., to crown the Blessed Mother. While they were waiting to be lifted in the CPFD ladder basket the thirty-five feet to the statue of Mary, Mrs. Accardi talked with Fr. Tom about how close she was with Mary because of her Catholic education and the inspiration of her mother. Mrs. Accardi expressed how students can have such a connection with Mary as she does.
A teacher here at Kellenberg for nearly four decades, Mrs. Accardi said, “The Blessed Mother was Jesus’ version of ‘Mom’. And like any mom, she wants the best for her kids, to encourage them to be the best people they can be, and to help them when they need help.”
Two representatives from every homeroom presented a flower to celebrate this special occasion. The Gregorian Consortium sang many beautiful tributes to Our Lady while an uplifting sermon from Fr. Tom inspired the student body to rededicate their faith lives to Mary.
Sophomore Ryan Hernandez commented, “Every year it’s a truly great experience to go outside and witness the May Crowning occur with our very own statue of Mary. I find it to be a very powerful and prayerful experience to be able to have a prayer service while God’s creation is surrounding us.”
After the beautiful prayer service, students were given snacks and refreshments with the help of the setup from the S.A.L.T. volunteers. Students were able to soak up the warm spring weather which gave them a resurgence before heading back to class.
The May Crowning is particularly important to Kellenberg since it is a Marianist school whose devotion to Mary, the human vessel that brought Christ into the world, inspires a method of learning and living as Catholics.
