Praying the Regina Coeli with Art: This Week's Image

This is an Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin by Diego de la Cruz and his workshop. We do not see the Trinity crowning Mary, but God the Father looking benignantly upon the "crown jewel" of his creation as the angels place the crown upon her head. Unfortunately, I am unable to decipher the letters in the scroll above the crown.

Image ©Museo Nacional del Prado.

From Easter to Pentecost, pray the Regina Coeli (in place of the Angelus) three times a day: morning, noon and evening.

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, Alleluia!
R. For he whom you deserved to bear, Alleluia!
Has risen as he said, Alleluia!
R. Pray for us to God, Alleluia! 

Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia!
For the Lord has truly risen, Alleluia!

Let us pray:
O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant, we beseech thee, that through the intercession of his Mother, the Virgin Mary,
we may obtain the joys of everlasting life.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Praying the Regina Coeli with Art: This Week's Image

This precious Coronation (by Vicente Macip) is just 9 inches high, yet look at the detail! (Jesus looks so thrilled to hand his Mom the scepter!)

Image ©Museo Nacional del Prado

From Easter to Pentecost, pray the Regina Coeli (in place of the Angelus) three times a day: morning, noon and evening.

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, Alleluia!
R. For he whom you deserved to bear, Alleluia!
Has risen as he said, Alleluia!
R. Pray for us to God, Alleluia! 

Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia!
For the Lord has truly risen, Alleluia!

Let us pray:
O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant, we beseech thee, that through the intercession of his Mother, the Virgin Mary,
we may obtain the joys of everlasting life.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Praying the Regina Coeli with Art: This Week's Image

The Yale Center for British Art includes this 15th century alabaster Assumption and Coronation. Notice the belt around the praying man's arm: that identifies him as the Apostle Thomas, miraculously transported by angels to Jerusalem, he crossed paths with Mary in the sky, where she gave him her cincture.

Unknown artist, fifteenth century (Nottinghamshire),

The Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin, 1450 to 1500,

Alabaster, Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund, B2001.3

From Easter to Pentecost, pray the Regina Coeli (in place of the Angelus) three times a day: morning, noon and evening.

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, Alleluia!
R. For he whom you deserved to bear, Alleluia!
Has risen as he said, Alleluia!
R. Pray for us to God, Alleluia! 

Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia!
For the Lord has truly risen, Alleluia!

Let us pray:
O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant, we beseech thee, that through the intercession of his Mother, the Virgin Mary,
we may obtain the joys of everlasting life.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Praying the Regina Coeli with Art: This Week's Image

During the Easter season, we traditionally replace the Angelus prayer with the Regina Coeli. And so Call to Prayer: The Angelus Project will feature images of the Coronation of the Virgin in place of the usual Annunciation.


This populated Coronation scene is from an 18th century "nun's badge" painted in oil on vellum. Dr Richard Stracke comments on his Christian Iconography website: 

This is a combination of Immaculate Conception and Coronation image types, with the Trinity poised to place the crown on Mary, who as the Immaculate Conception stands on a crescent moon with her hands clasped in prayer. Because of the coronation, she does not have the usual circle of stars around her head.
The Trinity is of the type that was becoming standard in the 18th century, with Father and Son pictured as an old and a young man respectively and the dove between them representing the Holy Spirit.    

Photographed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art by Richard Stracke,
shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.    

From Easter to Pentecost, pray the Regina Coeli (in place of the Angelus) three times a day: morning, noon and evening.

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, Alleluia!
R. For he whom you deserved to bear, Alleluia!
Has risen as he said, Alleluia!
R. Pray for us to God, Alleluia! 

Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia!
For the Lord has truly risen, Alleluia!

Let us pray:
O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant, we beseech thee, that through the intercession of his Mother, the Virgin Mary,
we may obtain the joys of everlasting life.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.