Today, we commemorate the feast day of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.
Some may know her as Our Mother of Perpetual Succour or Our Lady of Perpetual Help. We all collectively know that she is known to grant miracles and answer the prayers of her devotees.
In celebration of today’s festivities, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu released a carousel of what we should all know about the religious figure.
Fast Facts about Our Mother of Perpetual Help
The feast day, center of devotion, and propagators of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. | Photo: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu
Feast Day: June 27 annually (celebrated every third Sunday of June by the Redemptorists)
Propagators of the Devotion: Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
Center of Devotion: The Church of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Rome
Short History of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Short History of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. | Photo: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu
The Image can be traced back to the 15th Century when a Merchant heard of a Miraculous Image on the Island of Crete. The said merchant stole the image and kept it among his possessions.
When the merchant fell ill, the icon was brought to the church of St. Matthew in Rome, following the wishes of the Blessed Mother who appeared to the Merchant’s daughter. It remained there for the next 300 years, surviving many ordeals including the Napoleonic Invasion of 1798.
In 1855, Pope Pius IX gave the icon to the Redemptorists to keep at the Church of Saint Alphonsus, entrusting to them the mission to “Make Her known” worldwide. The icon remains there to this day.
The iconography of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Photo: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu
The Blessed Virgin Mary: dressed in dark red, which is the color of the Empress in Byzantine iconography. She also wears a blue veil, the color associated with Mothers in Palestinian Culture.
Photo: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu
The Child Jesus: Holding the hands of Mary, frightened by the instruments of crucifixion and is depicted with a fallen sandal.
Photo: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu
On the left side is Saint Michael, Archangel, carrying the lance and sponge of the crucifixion of Jesus. On the right side is Saint Gabriel, Archangel carrying a 3-bar cross and nails.
Photo: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu
The Virgin Mary has a star on her forehead signifying her role as Star of the Sea while the cross on the side has been claimed as referring to the Greek monastery which produced the icon.
Photo: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu
The icon also has Greek Inscriptions: MP-OY (Mother of God), OAM (Michael the Archangel), OAГ (Gabriel the Archangel), and IC-XC (Jesus Christ).