Among the many titles and advocations of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there’s one you might not have heard of: Our Lady of the Air, or Our Lady of the Airways, the perfect intercessor for air travel.
In the USA, Canada, and the Philippines, Our Lady of the Airways is often associated with churches or chapels near or inside airports (such as the chapel at Boston’s Logan Airport) or armed forces’ bases (such as the chapel of that name in Ottawa).
This attribution responds to the pastoral needs of travelers and people who work in the aviation industry.
Our Lady of the Air (Notre-Dame des Airs) is the name of at least two places in France: the Chapel of Our Lady of the Air in Saint-Cloud and the monument of Our Lady of the Air in Dieulouard, between Nancy and Metz. Both were built around the time of the First World War, and were born in response to this specific and dramatic historical event.
The chapel in Saint-Cloud, originally named Our Lady of Help of Val d’Or, was reconsecrated in 1919 under the name Our Lady of the Air. According to Cardinal Léon Amette, Archbishop of Paris, the Church did this “to invoke the special protection of the Queen of Heaven over the valiant aviators who often fly through the skies in this region.”
The memorial in Dieulouard was erected after the war and inaugurated in 1929. Father Gustave Clanché, the local parish priest, wanted to thank the Virgin Mary for sparing the village. Two bombs had pierced the church, but without exploding.
Prayers before flying
Many of us take to the air as passengers during summer vacation or important holidays, to visit family and friends. Whether or not we enjoy the experience of flying, it’s good to entrust ourselves to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, true Queen of Heaven, before a plane trip. It can help calm our nerves and protect us from even the rare possibility of danger.
Here’s a prayer to this end composed by Aleteia:
Prayer before flying in an airplane
Our Lady of the Air,
You watch over all those who implore your protection with motherly care.
Keep me from all danger.
You who reign over earth and the skies,
make sure that everything is as it should be
so that I may arrive safely.You who accompanied your Son on the roads of Galilee,
be with me during this journey.
Calm my anxieties,
take away all my fears,
and lead me where I ought be
according to the will of your Son Jesus Christ.Amen.
And as another option, here’s a prayer from Our Lady of the Airways Parish, Mississauga, Ontario (Canada):
Prayer to Our Lady of the Airways Protectress of Aviation
O MARY, Our Lady of the Airways, my Heavenly Mother,
I place myself under your guidance and protection
upon this journey which I am about to undertake,
and I ask that with your heavenly aid and upon the Winds of the Wind
that this earthly journey may be brought to safe landing.
May I also ask that upon the Wings of Prayer,
and through your heavenly intercession that my last journey in this life
may end at the Eternal Airport of Life Everlasting with you
and your Divine Son in Heaven.Amen.
Imprimatur: +James Charles Cardinal McGuigan, Archbishop of Toronto
August 15, 1949
