Why We Honor Her Today?
On May 24, the Church celebrates Our Lady, Help of Christians, a title under which Mary is invoked for powerful protection and guidance. This devotion became prominent after Pope Pius VII credited the Blessed Virgin with saving him from Napoleon’s prisons and restoring peace to the Church in the early 19th century. Inspired by these deliverances, the pope instituted the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians on this date in 1815.
A Bit of History
- Origins: Though Marian devotion is ancient, the specific invocation “Help of Christians” dates to at least the 16th century and was popularized by St. John Bosco (1815–1888), founder of the Salesians, who built a shrine in Turin under this title.
- Papal Endorsement: In 1815, Pope Pius VII—freed from captivity—publicly thanked Mary under this title and entrusted the Church to her maternal care.
- Patronage: Mary, Help of Christians, is now patroness of several countries, dioceses, and religious communities, especially the Salesians, whose motto is “Da mihi animas, cetera tolle” (“Give me souls, take away the rest”) under her protection.
Short Prayer to Our Lady, Help of Christians
O Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians,
to thee we entrust our needs and petitions.
Be our refuge in every danger,
our comfort in every sorrow,
and our guide on the path of holiness.
Obtain for us through thy intercession
the grace to persevere in faith and charity,
so that, under thy maternal care,
we may reach the joy of eternal life.
Amen.
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