6 times that Grace Kelly of Monaco expressed her Catholic faith

By Maria Wiering, OSV News

As Pope Leo XIV prepares to visit Monaco on March 28, Americans will no doubt remember another American-born Catholic monarch: actress-turned-princess Grace Kelly, who lived in Monaco after her marriage to sovereign Prince Rainier III in April 1956 until her untimely death in 1982.

An exemplar of elegance and serenity, Princess Grace was also a devout Catholic. Here are six ways she brought her faith to the forefront while she was princess of the world's second smallest country (after Vatican City, of course).

1. Large Catholic wedding 

On April 19, 1956, the 26-year-old movie star knelt beside Prince Rainier to receive Holy Communion during their televised wedding Mass at Monaco Cathedral before more than 600 guests. Princess Grace carried a small bouquet of lilies of the valley on a gold-edged missal entitled «Bride's Manual: Catholic Devotional Manual with Mass for the Marriage Ceremony and Nuptial Blessing,» which she later donated to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, along with her silk and lace wedding gown. The nuptial Mass took place one day after the civil ceremony, as required by the Napoleonic Code.

The couple was married by Bishop Gilles Barthe of Monaco, and Pope Pius XII sent his blessing through his nuncio in Paris. During the ceremony, Father John Carton, pastor of the Kelly family's parish in Philadelphia, «asked them both to make sacrifices ‘generously’ to preserve their union,» reported The New York Times.

After the ceremony, the prince and princess strolled the streets of Monaco, stopping at the Chapel of Sainte-Dévote, where Princess Grace left her bouquet as a token of devotion to Monaco's 4th century martyr and patron saint of Monaco, Saint Devote. The couple departed that evening for their honeymoon in the Mediterranean on a yacht christened with a motto of the prince's family: «Deo Juvante», Latin for «With God's help».

2. Maternity model

The royal couple had three children: Princess Caroline (born 1957), Prince Albert II (born 1958) and Princess Stephanie (born 1965). Princess Grace was known to be a loving and attentive mother. At a La Leche League convention in Chicago in 1971, Princess Grace advocated breastfeeding and the primacy of the mother-child relationship over other obligations. «In the beginning, when they needed me, and I needed them, there was no compromise. The state had to be at the service of the mother,» she said.

In August 1976, Princess Grace and Prince Rainier spoke about marriage and family during the 41st International Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia. «The role of the wife and mother in the family structure is probably more difficult today than ever,» Princess Grace told a crowd of thousands. «With more and more women working out of necessity or desire ... their role is more complex, though essentially the same as ever: to hold the family, husband and children together as a harmonious unit and provide a bond between generations.».

When she passed away, St. John Paul II said he was «deeply saddened by the death of Princess Grace, who always carried out her mission as a sovereign and as a mother of a family with a great spirit of faith and in a way that earned her the respect and sympathy of all.».

3. Participation in devotional films

The Oscar-winning actress retired from Hollywood after her marriage, but appeared in three religious-themed films shortly before her death. Her friendship with Father Patrick Peyton, of the Congregation of Holy Cross and founder of the Family Rosary Crusade, led her to collaborate with his ministry of Family Theatrical Productions. In one Easter production, she prayed the rosary with Father Peyton, and in others, she narrated reflections on the life of Christ.

In a 1981 interview, Father Peyton said that Princess Grace «had always longed to do something for the rosary.» «At first, she had the idea of building a rose garden in honor of the rosary on the grounds of the royal palace in Monaco,» he said. «As they were filming the short films about the rosary, he told her, »This is really your rose garden.'.

4. Papal meetings

Princess Grace had audiences with three popes. In April 1957, Pope Pius XII received the princess and the prince on a state visit. He expressed his hope that «the splendor of the Christian faith may always be admired in you».

The couple also paid state visits to St. John XXIII in 1959, St. Paul VI in 1974, and Popes John Paul I and John Paul II, both in 1978. However, none of these popes visited Monaco, a Catholic principality; Pope Leo XIII's visit constitutes the first papal trip to the principality in the modern era.

5. Humanitarianism towards refugees

Princess Grace used her influence to push for action to address the international refugee problem. In 1958, in an article published in America, the Jesuit magazine, she asserted that the problem was not «so complex as to be insoluble.» As recounted in her obituary, that essay highlighted the successful resettlement of Hungarian refugees displaced by the failed 1956 revolution in that country, adding, «When we truly set out to provide a solution to the tragic problem of homelessness, we can find it.».

He continued, «As individuals, we feel powerless to help these unfortunate people, but this is a mistake, as tragic for our own souls as it is for the lives of our fellow human beings. The actions of governments and private organizations must originate in the hearts and minds of each of us.» He also devoted his time to other charities and humanitarian causes.

6. Burial in the cathedral

When Princess Grace died at age 52 after a car accident caused by a stroke, she was buried in the Grimaldi family crypt at the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate, also known as St. Nicholas Cathedral, where she had married and had her children baptized.

In his homily at her funeral Mass, Archbishop Charles Brand of Monaco described her as an exceptional person, both humanly and religiously. In Philadelphia, nearly 2,000 people attended a memorial Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, officiated by Cardinal John J. Krol of Philadelphia. Prince Rainier was buried next to her after his death in 2005.