Our Lady of Perpetual Help: The Icon of Hope and the Handmaid of Miracles

Fr. Scott Haynes

Introduction

On June 27, the Church honors Our Lady of Perpetual Help, one of the most beloved Marian titles in Catholic devotion. The feast centers on a miraculous icon that has captivated hearts for centuries—a striking image of the Theotokos (God-bearer) holding the Christ Child, flanked by archangels, conveying a powerful spiritual message of mercy, hope, and divine protection. This icon is not merely a masterpiece of Eastern Christian art; it is a profound theological statement, a source of consolation, and, above all, a miraculous image that has wrought innumerable wonders.

Origins of the Icon

The original image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Byzantine icon dating to the 13th or 14th century. Painted using the traditional tempera on wood, the icon bears the hallmark of Eastern iconography: stylized, symbolic, and profoundly theological. Tradition holds that the image was created on the Isle of Crete and brought to Rome by a pious merchant escaping Turkish invaders around 1495.

Soon after its arrival in Rome, the icon was placed in the Church of San Matteo on Via Merulana, situated between the basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran. It remained there for nearly 300 years and gained a reputation for miracles and graces. So renowned was the image that Pope Pius IX later referred to it as “the Madonna of San Matteo.”

One particularly well-documented miracle occurred during the early 16th century: a Roman child, gravely ill and near death, was healed when his family knelt before the icon and pleaded for Mary’s help. From that time forward, the faithful began to call her Our Lady of Perpetual Help—a name that reflected the tangible aid they had received.

Loss and Rediscovery

In 1798, Napoleonic forces invaded Rome, and many churches were desecrated or destroyed. The Church of San Matteo was among them, and the icon disappeared from public view. For decades, it remained hidden in obscurity until divine providence intervened.

In the mid-19th century, the Redemptorist Fathers—formally known as the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer—acquired the site of the old Church of San Matteo. While building their new church, Sant'Alfonso di Liguori, they discovered that the miraculous icon had been preserved and housed in the monastery chapel of the Augustinian Fathers at Santa Maria in Posterula. The Redemptorists, aware of the icon’s historic connection to their church’s location, petitioned Pope Pius IX to return it to public veneration. The Holy Father not only granted the request but commanded:

“Make her known throughout the world.”

In 1866, the icon was solemnly enthroned in the Church of St. Alphonsus, where it remains to this day. A vast devotion spread rapidly, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help became the Patroness of the Redemptorist Order, inspiring countless missions, prayers, and healings across the globe.

Iconography and Symbolism

The icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is rich in theological symbolism. Mary is shown holding the Christ Child, who appears frightened and clings to His Mother. His tiny sandal hangs loosely, as if He had run quickly into her arms. The viewer sees in this tender gesture the refuge of the sinner who runs to Mary in fear or distress.

Two archangels, Michael (on the left) and Gabriel (on the right), flank the image. Michael carries the lance and sponge of the Passion; Gabriel holds the cross and nails. These instruments, also known as the Arma Christi, are visual prophecies of the suffering to come. The Child Jesus, though divine, is portrayed in His full humanity, recoiling in fear—yet He finds security in the arms of His Mother.

Mary’s gaze, however, is not directed at her Son but at the viewer. She invites the faithful to share in her Son’s sufferings, to bring their sorrows, sins, and fears before the throne of grace. She does not seek to glorify herself but to lead souls to her Son.

St. John Damascene once wrote,

“The whole mystery of the Incarnation is contained in Mary’s arms.”1

This is evident in the icon: Mary is the Mother of God, the Theotokos, but also the spiritual mother of every soul who seeks Jesus.

Worldwide Devotion

Since its public enthronement in 1866, devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help has grown into a worldwide movement. The Redemptorist Fathers spread the image and its associated prayers across continents. Today, shrines dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help exist in the Philippines, India, Nigeria, Ireland, and beyond.

In the Philippines, Our Lady of Perpetual Help is revered as the National Patroness, and the Wednesday Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help has become one of the most vibrant Marian devotions in the world. Filipino Catholics affectionately refer to her as “Ina ng Laging Saklolo”—Mother of Constant Help.

The weekly novena includes the prayer:

“O Mother of Perpetual Help, with greatest confidence we come before your sacred picture… to beg your help in our needs.”2

Devotional Elements

Key elements of devotion include:

• Novena Prayers, especially on Wednesdays.

• Processions with the image on her feast day.

• Pilgrimages to shrines and churches dedicated to her.

• The “Perpetual Novena.”

In 1904, Pope St. Pius X granted a canonical coronation to the icon, recognizing its miracles and the depth of popular piety. The feast day, assigned to June 27, serves as a solemn reminder of Mary’s enduring intercession.

Biblical Foundations

Theologically, devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help is deeply rooted in Scripture. In the Gospel of John, Our Lady appears at Cana and at Calvary—moments of transformation and suffering. At Cana, she intercedes even before the need is voiced (John 2:1–11); at Calvary, she is entrusted to the beloved disciple as Mother of the Church (John 19:26–27).

In Proverbs 8, the Church has long seen Mary as a figure of Wisdom, who stands at the crossroads to guide the simple (Proverbs 8:1–3). In Revelation 12:1, she is the “woman clothed with the sun,” who battles the dragon for the soul of the Church. St. Ephraim the Syrian beautifully taught:

“You are the haven of the shipwrecked, the comfort of the world, the ever-flowing fountain of mercy.”3

Miracles and Testimonies

The title “Perpetual Help” is not poetic exaggeration—it is based on countless miracles attributed to the icon:

1. Healings

Countless sick have reported miraculous recoveries after praying before the icon. One well-documented case occurred in the early 20th century when a young woman, bedridden with tuberculosis in Limerick, Ireland, was completely healed after receiving a small copy of the icon and praying the novena.

2. Conversions

Mary’s intercession has brought hardened sinners back to Confession, lapsed Catholics back to Mass, and even non-believers into the Church. A French soldier, imprisoned during World War I, was spiritually transformed after finding an image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in a German POW camp.

3. Protection in War

During the Korean War, many Filipino soldiers carried miniature copies of the icon. Entire platoons credited their survival to the Virgin’s intercession after ambushes and bombardments. Similar stories emerged from Vietnam and Eastern Europe during the Soviet persecution of Christians.

Theological Reflections

St. Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists, had a profound love for the Blessed Virgin and wrote:

“He who is protected by Mary will be saved; he who is not will be lost.”4

Mary’s role is not to replace Christ but to bring the soul to Him. She is the Mediatrix of all Graces, because she bore the Author of Grace. The miracles worked through her icon do not testify to her own power but to the power of Jesus working through His Mother.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux offered this counsel to the struggling soul:

“In dangers, in distress, in perplexities, think of Mary, call upon Mary… Following her, thou strayest not; invoking her, thou despairest not.”5

This is the essence of Our Lady of Perpetual Help: a mother who never ceases to intercede, a refuge for the weak, and a star for the lost.

Conclusion: A Mother for All Seasons

In every age of the Church, Our Lady has taken on titles that speak to the needs of her children: Help of Christians, Refuge of Sinners, Comforter of the Afflicted. Among these, the title Our Lady of Perpetual Help evokes an especially tender image: that of a mother who never ceases to act, to love, to guide.

The devotion reminds us of Mary’s continuous role in salvation history. As the New Eve, she cooperated in the Redeemer’s plan; as the Queen of Heaven, she exercises maternal care over the Church.

In a world torn by conflict and confusion, Mary points us to her Son. Her perpetual help is not momentary relief, but ongoing accompaniment.

As we celebrate her feast on June 27, may we echo the ancient prayer of the faithful:

“O Mother of Perpetual Help, show that thou art our Mother. Amen.”

Footnotes

1. St. John Damascene, Homily on the Dormition, PG 96.

2. Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Redemptorist Publications.

3. St. Ephraim the Syrian, Hymns on the Nativity, Hymn 11.

4. St. Alphonsus Liguori, Glories of Mary, Part II, Discourse V.

5. St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Homily II on the Missus Est, PL 183.