Our Lady of Perpetual Help was protected and venerated for centuries: Feast Day is June 27th

How the Augustinians rescued the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

When Napoleon invaded Rome (in 1812) , the Augustinians (Pope Leo's religious order) saved the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help from destruction. Reported in Aleteia by Philip Kosloski

One of the best known and most beloved icons in the Western Church is the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. It's featured in many Roman-rite Catholic churches, and many Catholics have a devotion to this "miracle" icon.

It has a fascinating history, one that involves its rescue from destruction by a group of Augustinian monks, the same religious order that Pope Leo XIV is a member of.

While the current church where it is located is staffed by the Redemptorists, previously the image was kept in a church that was run for many centuries by Augustinians.

Saved from destruction

When Napoleon invaded Rome in 1812, he destroyed the church of San Matteo, which was between St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran. It was a church belonging to the Augustinian Order, and the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help had been venerated there for roughly 300 years.

To keep the icon from getting obliterated or stolen in the chaos, a few Augustinian monks took the icon from the church and hid it.

Here is an account of what happened, according to Fr. Michael Marchi, featured in the book Life of St. Alphonsus Ligouri:

"Between 1840 and 1853...I used to go and see an old lay brother named Austin Orsetti in the Augustinian monastery of Santa Maria in Posterula. He told me that when the church of St Matthew was destroyed, the Augustinians had taken the Madonna of Perpetual Succor with them, to save it from profanation and had placed it, unknown to all, in the private oratory of their monastery. After the death of all the old Augustinian fathers, Brother Orsetti was the only witness of the past. Many a time he showed me the Madonna which had been venerated for ages at St. Matthew's saying, 'Never forget Michael, the miraculous Madonna of St Matthew's. Remember that it is here in this chapel.'"

What happened next is that the location of the miraculous icon was revealed to Pope Pius IX, who then ordered it to be placed in the church of the Redemptorists.

It was placed in their church because it was the only church remaining between St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran, and that location was favored by the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The icon was publicly venerated once again in 1866, and has remained in the custody of the Redemptorists ever since.

All of this was made possible by a few Augustinians who saved the icon from destruction.

3 Reasons to make sure you have an image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help:  This title of Mary is popular everywhere, and it reveals spiritual lessons that can inspire us every day. Reported in Aleteia by Civantos Barber

Shortly before his dementia grew too severe to travel, my grandfather came to visit me one last time. Already he was acting very different from his usual self, but at the time he was still able to share stories of his life and have some awareness of what was going on around him.

I lived in Washington, DC, then, so I took him and my grandmother to visit one of my favorite places in that city: the Catholic Information Center. I volunteered there at the time, helping out with events and manning the cash register.

When we walked into the Center’s gift shop, my grandfather became fascinated with a large image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. “My mother always had this image in her home,” he exclaimed. “She had a great devotion to it!”

He insisted on buying the image, right then and there, even though it would be a tight fit in his luggage back to Miami. There was something about that image that captivated him. It still hangs on the wall of my grandparents’ house today.

I think of this memory every year, on the June 27th feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. There is something truly captivating about the image of Mary as a source of “perpetual help.” Of all the Marian titles, this one may be the most popular.

What is it about Our Lady of Perpetual Help that is so arresting❓ 💜

I think the universal appeal of this image centers on our ✝️Christian identity as children of Mary.

A mother always, always tries to help her children, if there is any way that she possibly can. When we truly think of Mary as our mother, we turn to her for help very often. It’s enormously hopeful and deeply comforting to know that her help for us is unending.

The icon itself has an amazing history. It sounds like something out of a storybook, with a storm at sea, a visionary dream, and a forgotten and rediscovered treasure.

But it’s the spiritual truths behind the image that give it such deep meaning. It seems to convey, in one deceptively simple scene, the greatness of Our Lady’s intercessory power.

Even as his brilliant mind was beginning to dull, my grandfather sensed the loving strength and quiet helpfulness the image conveys. Any of us could benefit, as well, from having this image close at hand for prayer and contemplation. It’s especially fruitful if you’re going through a hard time, such as sickness, grief, or other hardships.

Here are 3 reasons that this image belongs in every Christian home.

1. It helps us understand Mary’s role

In the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, baby Jesus is frightened and flees into her arms. Seeing God himself seek comfort from this holiest of women reminds us to do the same. This image inspires us to run to Mary for help, just as Christ did, in all the trials we face.

2 It's a source of accompaniment:  Tradition holds that, in this image, young Jesus is frightened because he sees a vision of his future Passion. Mary reassures the frightened child with her actions and her very presence.

Looking at this image, it feels like we can hear Our Lady saying, “Yes, it’s going to be very hard. But I will stay with you. You won’t have to do it alone.” And indeed she would remain by his side throughout His entire Passion, offering steady support to console him, simply by being there and loving him.

Mary walks beside us when we carry our crosses too. She abides near us, offering her steady, gentle, supportive love. This image helps us keep this truth at the forefront of our minds, so we can be consoled by her presence as Christ was, both as a child and as a man.

3 It offers joyful hope:  Of course, the Passion is not the end of the story. The Resurrection came, and it comes into all of our hardships too.

Christ wears a crown in this image, showing that he is King of heaven and earth. It’s a reminder that whatever crosses we bear are finite: What will last forever is the glory of Christ and his reign as king. We see evidence of this truth in the many miracles attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

We can rejoice in confident hope, knowing that Christ has won the victory for us, once and for all. A glance at this image throughout the day can renew our spirits, giving us strength to “fight the good fight” (1 Tim 6:12) and follow Christ our King.