Australia’s Unique Devotion to Our Lady of the Southern Cross

There is a reason the Southern Cross figures prominently on the flags of both Australia and New Zealand, not that it's for a religious reason.

From Aleteia

By Philip Kosloski

In the Southern Hemisphere, the Southern Cross has been a guide to sailors for thousands of years and Our Lady continues to guide souls to her Son.

In an age without smartphones and GPS systems, sailors had to look to the starry night sky for guidance on how to reach their final destination.

This was the case in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, with each region having its own unique stars to guide voyagers to a safe haven.

For those who traveled in the Southern Hemisphere, the Southern Cross played a pivotal role, as it is clearly visible and helped sailors correct their course. Also known as Crux (Latin for cross) it is among the most easily distinguished of the constellations.

It became such an essential part of travel that both Australia and New Zealand decided to incorporate the Southern Cross into their national flags.

In the Catholic world, it should come as no surprise that there quickly developed a variety of devotions connected to this symbolic constellation in Australia, as there is an ancient tradition that connects Mary to the title "Star of the Sea."

Our Lady of the Southern Cross

The Hebrew form of Mary is miryam and some biblical scholars have seen in it the Hebrew words mar (bitter) and yam (sea). This first meaning can refer to Mary's bitter suffering at the cross and her many tears of sorrow.

Another interpretation of the word mar renders Mary's name to mean "drop of the sea" and St. Jerome rendered it in Latin as stilla maris, which was later changed to stella (star) maris. This accounts for a popular title for Mary as "Star of the Sea." Calling Mary stella maris referred to Mary's ability to guide sinners along the right path to the Eternal Shores of Heaven.

St. Thomas Aquinas confirms this symbolism, "Mary means Star of the Sea, for as mariners are guided to port by the ocean star, so Christians attain to glory through Mary's maternal intercession."

In the Diocese of Toowoomba in South West Queensland, Australia, there was no record of a Diocesesan patron saint. After much consultation, they decided to officially honor Mary under the title, "Our Lady of the Southern Cross," as they explain on their website:

The choice was overwhelmingly in favour of Mary of the Southern Cross. After seeking approval, on November 14, 1998, the Holy Father issued a Bull formally recognizing the title of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Southern Cross.

The first celebration of the Feast of Mary of the Southern Cross, as the Diocese has chosen to refer to it, took place on September 1, 1999. A day of solemnity across the Diocese.

The day was chosen for a variety of reasons, including the fact that eight days later the Church celebrates the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on September 8.

A light in the darkness

Furthermore, when establishing an Anglican Ordinariate for Australia, it was similarly given the patronage of, "Our Lady of the Southern Cross." A local artist even wrote a new icon for Our Lady of the Southern Cross, which is rich in symbolism.

St. John Paul II similarly invoked Mary as "Star of the Sea" when addressing the Church in Oceania, praying:

O Stella Maris, light of every ocean
and mistress of the deep,
guide the peoples of Oceania
across all dark and stormy seas,
that they may reach the haven of peace and light
prepared in him who calmed the sea.

Viewing Mary as a "star" is an ancient devotion that continues to have relevance for Catholics living in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. She remains a bright beacon of hope for all of us, leading us to her Son, Jesus, and his holy Cross.