Our Lady of Perpetual Help
"Our Lady of Perpetual Help was painted by an unknown artist on the island of Crete. A merchant brought the picture to Rome in 1499 and gave it to a friend. This friend's wife had visions of Mary, in which Mary said that she wanted the picture enshrined for public veneration in the little Roman church of St. Matthew - between the two great basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran. So the picture was given to the religious community of St. Augustine at St. Matthew's, who received it with joy and soon found that it aroused great devotion among the faithful. There were many liturgical services, impressive conversions, miracles - so much so that the picture came to be called the miraculous image of Perpetual Help.

In 1799 Napoleon and his general in Rome ordered the destruction of some thirty churches; among these St. Matthew's. The Augustinians moved to other monasteries and the miraculous picture went with them into obscurity. In 1855 the Redemptorists built a new church in Rome. In tracing the history of their property, the Redemptorists made a startling discovery- that their church was built on the spot of the old St. Matthew's, and was now the "little church between the two great basilicas" - the very spot chosen by "Mary of Perpetual Help." Among the Redemptorists lived a priest who had been a long ago altar boy at St. Matthew's, and remembered the picture and where it was housed. The Redemptorist Superior General petitioned Pope Pius IX for permission to have the miraculous picture enshrined in their church, which was granted. The picture was enshrined, and Pope Pius IX prayed before it. It is said that it brought tears to his eyes, and he said: "How beautiful she is. Make her known."

Taking the pope's wish as a pious command, the Redemptorists began at once, and continue to this day to "make her known."

Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
"Oh Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke your powerful name, the protection of the living and the salvation of the dying. Purest Mary, let your name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, Blessed Lady, to rescue me whenever I call on you. In my temptations, in my needs, I will never cease to call on you, ever repeating your sacred name, Mary, Mary. What a consolation, what sweetness, what confidence fills my soul when I utter your sacred name or even only think of your! I thank the Lord for having given you so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I will not be content with merely uttering your name. Let my love for your prompt me ever to hail you Mother of Perpetual Help

Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for me and grant me the favor I confidently ask of you. {mention your petition}."

Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
"Behold, O Mother of Perpetual Help, at thy feet a wretched sinner, who has recourse to thee and trusts in thee. O Mother of mercy, have pity on me; I hear all men call thee the refuge and hope of sinners: be therefore my refuge and my hope. Help me for the love of Jesus Christ: hold out thy hand to a fallen wretch, who commends himself to thee and dedicates himself to be thy servant forever. I praise and thank God, who of His great mercy hath given me this confidence in thee, a sure pledge of my eternal salvation. Alas, it is only too true that in the past I have fallen miserably, because I did not come to thee. I know that with thy help I shall conquer; I know that thou wilt help me, if I commend myself to thee; but I am fearful lest in the occasions of sin I shall forget to call upon thee and so I shall be lost. This grace, then, do I ask of thee; for this I implore thee, as much as I can and know how to do; namely, that in the assaults of hell I may ever run to thy protection and may say to thee: Mary, help me; Mother of Perpetual Help, permit me not to lose my God.

HAIL MARY

O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant me ever to be able to call upon thy powerful name, since thy name is the help of the living and the salvation of the dying. Ah, Mary most pure, Mary most sweet, grant that thy name from this day forth may be to me the very breath of life. Dear Lady, delay not to come to my assistance whenever I call upon thee; for in all the temptations that assail me, in all the necessities that befall me, I will never leave off calling upon thee, ever repeating: Mary, Mary. What comfort, what sweetness, what confidence, what tenderness fills my soul at the sound of thy name, at the very thought of thee! I give thanks to our Lord, who for my sake hath given thee a name so sweet, so lovable, so mighty. But I am not content merely to speak thy name; I would utter it for very love of thee; it is my desire that love should ever remind me to name thee, Mother of Perpetual Help.

HAIL MARY

O Mother of Perpetual Help, thou art the dispenser of every grace that God grants us in our misery; it is for this cause that He hath made thee so powerful, so rich, so kind, that thou mightest assist us in our miseries. Thou art the advocate of the most wretched and abandoned sinners, if they but come unto thee; come once more to my assistance, for I commend myself to thee. In thy hands I place my eternal salvation; to thee I entrust my soul. Enroll me among thy most faithful servants; take me under thy protection and it is enough for me: yes, for if thou protect me, I shall fear nothing; not my sins, for thou wilt obtain for me their pardon and remission; not the evil spirits, for thou art mightier than all the powers of hell; not even Jesus, my Judge, for He is appeased by a single prayer from thee. I fear only that through my own negligence I may forget to recommend myself to thee and so I shall be lost. My dear Lady, obtain for me the forgiveness of my sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance and the grace to have recourse to thee at all times, O Mother of Perpetual Help."

HAIL MARY