Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Festa: June 27
Byzantine icon and devotion emphasizing Mary's perpetual maternal intercession for all.
Patronato
Mothers, children, families, motherhood, hope, continuous divine assistance
Virtù e caratteristiche
Biografia
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Marian devotion centered on a Byzantine icon housed in the Basilica of Saint Alphonsus Liguori in Rome. The image, dating to the fifteenth century and of Eastern Orthodox artistic tradition, depicts Mary holding the Christ Child while two archangels present instruments of the Passion. The devotion emphasizes Mary's constant, unfailing maternal intercession for all who call upon her aid. The title 'Perpetual Help' stresses the perpetual nature of her protective assistance and motherly care across all circumstances and times. Pope Pius IX promoted the devotion extensively in the nineteenth century, and it became particularly associated with the Redemptorist Congregation, which disseminated it worldwide through missionary work. The devotion appeals to both personal spiritual needs and broader maternal compassion, making it one of the most beloved Marian practices in contemporary Catholicism.