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Our Mother of Perpetual Help
June 27th

History: Also known as Our Lady of Perpetual Succour
The picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour is painted on wood, with background of gold. It is Byzantine in style and is supposed to have been painted in the thirteenth century. It represents the Mother of God holding the Divine Child while the Archangels Michael and Gabriel present before Him the instruments of His Passion. Over the figures in the picture are some Greek letters, which form the abbreviated words Mother of God, Jesus Christ, Archangel Michael, and Archangel Gabriel respectively. It was brought to Rome toward the end of the fifteenth century by a pious merchant, who, dying there, ordered by his will that the picture should be exposed in a church for public veneration. It was exposed in the church of San Matteo, Via Merulana, between St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran. Crowds flocked to this church, and for nearly three hundred years many graces were obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. The picture was then popularly called the Madonna di San Matteo. The church was served for a time by the Hermits of St. Augustine, who had sheltered their Irish brethren in their distress. These Augustinians were still in charge when the French invaded Rome (1812) and destroyed the church. The picture disappeared; it remained hidden and neglected for over forty years, but a series of providential circumstances between 1863 and 1865 led to its discovery in an oratory of the Augustinian Fathers at Santa Maria in Posterula.

The pope, Pius IX, who as a boy had prayed before the picture in San Matteo, became interested in the discovery and in a letter dated December 11, 1865 to Father General Mauron, C.SS.R., ordered that Our Lady of Perpetual Succour should be again publicly venerated in Via Merulana, and this time at the new church of St. Alphonsus. The ruins of San Matteo were in the grounds of the Redemptorist Convent. This was but the first favor of the Holy Father towards the picture. He approved of the solemn translation of the picture (April 26, 1866), and its coronation by the Vatican Chapter (June 23, 1867). He fixed the feast as duplex secundae classis, on the Sunday before the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and by a decree dated May 1876, approved of a special office and Mass for the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. This favor later on was also granted to others. Learning that the devotion to Our Lady under this title had spread far and wide, Pius IX raised a confraternity of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour and St. Alphonsus, which had been erected in Rome, to the rank of an arch-confraternity and enriched it with many privileges and indulgences. He was amongst the first to visit the picture in its new home, and his name is the first in the register of the arch-confraternity. Two thousand three hundred facsimiles of the Holy Picture have been sent from St. Alphonsus's church in Rome to every part of the world. At the present day not only altars, but churches and dioceses (e.g. in England, Leeds and Middlesborough; in the United States, Savannah) are dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. In some places, as in the United States, the title has been translated Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition )

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Immaculate Mary
Immaculate Mary, thy praises we sing,
Who reignest in splendor with Jesus, Our King.
Ave, ave, ave Maria! Ave, ave Maria!

In heaven the blessed thy glory proclaim;
On earth, we, thy children, invoke thy sweet name!
Ave, ave, ave Maria! Ave, ave Maria!

We pray for our mother, the Church upon earth;
And bless, dearest Lady, the land of our birth.
Ave, ave, ave Maria! Ave, ave Maria!

(The Adoremus Hymnal - p 532)

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Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Mother of Perpetual Help, you have been blessed and favored by God. You became not only the Mother of the Redeemer but the Mother of the redeemed as well. We come to you today as your loving children. Watch over us and take care of us. As you held the child Jesus in your loving arms, so take us in your arms. Be a mother ready at every moment to help us. For God who is mighty has done great things for you, and His mercy is from age to age on those who love Him. Our greatest fear is that in time of temptation, we may fail to call out to you, and become lost children. Intercede for us, dear Mother, in obtaining pardon for our sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace always to call upon you, Mother of Perpetual Help — From the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

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OUR MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP NOVENA

Opening Hymn (Stand) 

R: Most holy and immaculate Virgin and our Mother Mary, You are our Perpetual Help, our refuge and our hope.

V: We come to You today. * We thank God for all the graces received through your intercession. * Mother of Perpetual Help, we promise to love you always * and to do all we can to lead Others to you.

R: Mother Of Perpetual Help Confident of your Powerful influence with God, obtain for us these graces:

V: The strength to overcome temptation, * a perfect love for Jesus Christ, * and a holy death * so that we will live with you and your Son for all eternity. .

R: Let us pray to be open to God's Word.

V: Mother of Perpetual Help, * you continually sought the meaning of God's words and actions in your life. * As we listen to God's Word, * may the Holy Spirit enlighten our understanding * and give us the courage * to put his Word into practice in our daily lives. 

(Reading of the day and if homily follows, all should be seated.) 

R: Let us kneel to pray as a community of faith. Mary, all generations have called you blessed, and the Almighty has done great things for you.

V: Mother of Perpetual Help, * we call upon your most powerful name. * Your very name inspires confidence and hope. * May it always be on our lips, * especially in time of temptation * and at the hour of our death. * Blessed Lady, help us whenever we call on you. * Let us not be content with merely pronouncing your name. * May our daily lives proclaim * that you are our Mother and our Perpetual Help.

R: Let us pray for our temporal wants. 

V: Mother of Perpetual Help, * with the greatest confidence we kneel before you. * We implore your help in the problems of our daily lives. Trials and sorrows often depress us; * misfortunes and privations bring misery into our lives; * everywhere we meet the cross. * Comforter of the Afflicted, * beg your Son Jesus * to strengthen us as we bear our burdens * and to free us from our sufferings. * Or if it be the will of God * that we should suffer still longer, * help us endure all with love and patience. * May we follow the example of your Son, * and through him, * with him, * and in him * commend ourselves to the care of our heavenly Father. 

R: Let us stand now to present our petitions and our thanks. Lord Jesus Christ, at a word from Mary your Mother, You changed water into wine at Cana of Galilee. Listen now to the People of God gathered here to honor Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Grant our petitions and accept our sincere thanks. Grant wisdom and guidance to our Holy Father, Pope. . .,our Bishop. . ., our priests, and all the leaders of our nation, state, and community. 

V: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Grant peace and unity throughout the world, especially in our homes and families.

V: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Grant that young people respond generously to the call of the Holy Spirit in deepening their faith and choosing their vocation in life. 

V: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Grant us continued health of mind and body, and help the sick, especially . . . , to regain their health according to your holy will. 

V: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Grant eternal rest to all our deceased, especially . . . , and to the souls of all the faithful departed. 

V: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Let us pause now to silently present our own petitions to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Lord, accept our thanks for the new life of grace you gave us. 

V: We thank You, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Accept our thanks for all the graces received through the sacramental life of the Church.

V: We thank you, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Accept our thanks for the spiritual and material blessings we have received. 

V: We thank You, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Let us pause now to silently thank Our Mother of Perpetual Help for our own favors received. 

R: Please kneel as we pray for the sick. 

V: Lord, look upon our servants * laboring under bodily weakness. * Cherish and revive the souls * which You have created * so that, purified by their sufferings, * they may soon find themselves healed by Your mercy. * We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

R: May the Lord Jesus Christ be with you that he may defend you, within you that he may sustain you, before you that he may lead you, behind you that he may protect you, above you that he may bless you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

V: Amen. 

R: Let us renew our confidence in Mary as a perpetual help.

V: Mother of Perpetual Help, * you have been blessed and favored by God. * You became not only the Mother of the Redeemer * but the Mother of the redeemed as well. * We come to you today as your loving children. * Watch over us and take care of us, * As you held the child Jesus in your loving arms, * so take us in your arms. * Be a mother ready at every moment to help us. * For God who is mighty * has done great things for you, * and His mercy is from age to age * on those who love Him. * Our greatest fear is * that in time of temptation, * we may fail to call out to you, * and become lost children. * Intercede for us, dear Mother, * in obtaining pardon for our sins, * love for Jesus, * final perseverance, * and the grace always to call upon you, * Mother of Perpetual Help. 

R: Let us renew our Act of Consecration. 

V: United with the members of your confraternity * here and throughout the world, * we consecrate ourselves to your service. * We promise to renew this dedication once a month * and frequently to receive the sacraments. * We beg you to obtain for us * the grace to imitate your great servant, St. Alphonsus, * in his love for you and your Son. 

R: Let us stand now and unite with the Christians of all ages in praising Mary and in committing ourselves to her powerful protection.

V: Hail Mary, etc. 

R: Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

V: That we may become worthy of the promises of Christ. 

R: Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave us Your Mother Mary, whose image we venerate, as a mother ready at every moment to help us; grant, we beg You, that we who call on her help may always enjoy  the fruit of Your redemption. This we ask through You who live and reign forever. 

V: Amen. 

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Our Lady of Perpetual Help
June 27

Monsignor Anthony La Femina, Iconographer [© 2004. Used with permission.]
Click Icon for closer look on the Adoremus website.

 

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