Contemplative Nuns Celebrate Solemnity

Our Mother of Perpetual Help

For our Order and for the Redemptorist Congregation today is celebrated as a solemnity in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus our Redeemer, under the  title of Perpetual Help. We have already participated in Mass concelebrated by two Redemptorist priests. Father Thomas Travers requested that our prioress, Sister Moira Quinn, offer a reflection on the significance this title of Mary, our mother, has for us as Redemptoristine Nuns. Here are her words, words which inspired us to trust in these difficult times, not only for ourselves but for many who entrusted their petitions to us during this annual novena.

We Place Our Hands Within Hers

        St.  Alphonsus and Ven. Mother Maria Celeste Crostarosa both had great devotion to our Lady and placed all their cares and concerns within the hands of our Lady though neither mention the icon of our Mother of Perpetual Help.

        Alphonsus wrote the classic book on Mariology, ‘The Glories of Mary;’ and had his Redemptorists defend the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception years before it became dogma.  He always had a painting of the Madonna of Our Lady of Good Counsel on his desk.  Alphonsus even painted depictions of Mary himself such as his La Divina Pastora, the Divine Shepherdess: a woman dressed in humble attire, not as a distant queen of heaven, with the child Jesus on her lap reaching to play with the sheep. The painting represents Alphonsus' Marian theology: "Jesus and Mary are not distant supernatural figures but ever close to the poor, in their midst, and involved in the struggles of their lives." 

       Alphonsus may have known of the icon of Perpetual Help because it hung, at the time, in St Matthew’s in Rome between the basilicas of St Mary Major and St John Lateran.  Twelve years after St Alphonsus’ death it went into hiding and was lost for some sixty years until it was reinstated in the church that had been rebuilt after Napoleon’s army destroyed St Matthew’s and named it in honor of a new saint, Alphonsus, where his brother Redemptorists functioned then and continue to do so today.

       In 1865 Pope Pius IX commissioned the Redemptorists to use the miraculous image of Perpetual Help to ‘Make Her Known’ throughout the world.  They have done so with weekly prayers and novenas held across the earth in her honor.

       I doubt Ven. Mother Maria Celeste ever saw or even heard of Our Mother of Perpetual Help but she also had a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin.  She writes in her ‘Exercise of love for every day:’ 

       “O my Lady and Mother, well can you say that all generations in heaven and on earth will call you blessed.  You are our only Hope, all nations will call you blessed; the angels and all the heavenly spirits look on you as their Queen, since you are the Mother of the great King; the just have recourse to you as to a Rock of strength and the Teacher of Virtues, safe Guide in this vale of tears, Gate of salvation; under your patronage sinners hurry to you to obtain pardon and protection… and all generations recognize you as Mediatrix and instrument of our Redemption.”   Florilegium 10.

       Both Alphonsus and Celeste turned to Mary in their times of need, as we turn to Mary in ours. We have as our model, Jesus, who ran into his mother’s arms for help and comfort. We see in the icon of Mother of Perpetual Help Jesus looking over his shoulder at the vision of his crucifixion while holding on to his Mother’s strong, steady hands.   Mary’s gaze invites us to take hold of her hands in our times of distress and to be of hope.

        Our community has been standing at the foot of the cross with Mary these last few months as we planned a move, canceled the move, sought temporary accommodations here at Mother Cabrini’s, actually moved and settled in only to have Sr. Lydia break her leg and Sr. Mary Anne come down with shingles.
 

        All the while I picture us, and all those who have mailed us their intentions which are in the bowl under the icon standing in a circle holding on to Mary’s hands and one another.  Her calm, sympathetic, steady gaze assures us of God’s tender care.

        I really am not attracted to the icon style as art.  In Perpetual Help Mary looks stern to me. But once, when I was young in religious life and looking at our large icon I thought I saw her smile.  How reassuring, encouraging to be aware of her presence to me personally.  But what really draw me are her hands:  they are at the center of the icon and large enough for us all to place our hands in hers. 

         So today, aware that we can turn to our Mother of Perpetual Help in any need we thank her for her past favors and continue with confidence and hope to place all our cares in her strong hands to bring whatever lies heavy on our hearts to her Son, our Most Holy Redeemer. 

Amen.                                                                 Sr. Moira Quinn, OSsR

Contemplative Nuns Begin Novena

Novena for the Feast
of Mother of Perpetual Help
Begins Today

Today we announce the beginning of our annual novena to Mother of Perpetual Help. For those who have not received it, I post the 2012 edition of our annual novena letter written by our Prioress Sr. Moira Quinn which was sent out a few weeks ago via surface mail. Please do join us in offering the daily prayer given at the end of the letter. We are united in prayer for a myriad of personal intentions we are receiving. We are also united in prayer for peace in our world, our Church, our communities and our families. 

Although we are not having our usual Tridiuum Masses in the evening prior to the feast we do invite you to join us at 8:00am Mass daily during all the days of the Novena (Sunday at 11:00am). We are located at Cabrini West Park, Route 9W, West Park.

Dear Friends,

In our Advent letter we came to you in the posture of Naomi and Ruth, Mary and Joseph: standing together at the crossroads journeying to a new home.  This Easter season we are now traveling on the Road to Emmaus: bewildered by what has happened, yet walking with Jesus. We beg Him to “Stay with us,” along the journey.  We have “…recognized Him in the breaking of the bread,” and say to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking to us on the road!” 

As we write this letter we we still find ourselves "on the road." We have been on the road since spring 2011. After a long search we thought we had found a new home in New Jersey but it was not meant to be. So we continue our search.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Women are like tea bags; you never know how strong they are until they’re put in hot water.”  Our strength, over the last year since we began our search, has come from the Lord, Mary, our Mother of Perpetual Help and so many wonderful people, like you, who have supported us with your prayer, love and friendship.  

Because of this development, we are going to move temporarily into the lower level of Cabrini on the Hudson in West Park.  It is only about five miles south of our Esopus monastery on 9W.  We will have access to their chapel upstairs for our daily Mass.  We will keep the same schedule of 8:00 a.m. Mass Monday through Saturday and 11:00 a.m. on Sundays.  Thankfully, we will still be close to the Redemptorists, our friends, associates and doctors and will be able to keep our post office box in Esopus.  After we settle in, we will renew our search of where the Lord is leading us.

As we do at this time every year, we invite you to participate in our Annual Novena in Honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, June 19-27^th.    As Jesus turned to his mother Mary when he was frightened, so we also confidently turn to our Mother of Perpetual Help and invoke her powerful intercession for all our needs and of those of the world.

Because of circumstances beyond our control, we are saddened to inform you that we will not be holding a public Triduum in honor of our Mother of Perpetual Help this year. 

Please keep us in your prayers, and send us your intentions to be placed before the icon of our Mother of Perpetual Help in our chapel as you join us from home throughout the novena, June 19-27:

                               NOVENA PRAYER

All:    Holy Mary, help all in distress,

encourage the fainthearted, console the sorrowful,

be the advocate of all clergy and religious,

strengthen family life,  bring peace to our  world,

intercede for all God’s holy people,

let all feel your aid who implore your Perpetual Help.

       Our Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for us.

      That we may be made worthy of the promises
  of Christ.

   O Lord Jesus Christ,

who has given us your Mother Mary

whose miraculous image we venerate,

to be our Mother, ever ready to help us,

grant we pray, that we who earnestly implore her aid

may deserve to enjoy perpetually

the fruit of your Redemption.

You who live and reign for ever and ever.  Amen.

 Pleace and blessings be yours

and may our Mother of Perpetual Help

be your strength in all your needs.

Your Redemptoristine Sisters

Return of the Blogger

Yes, it has been a long time. In fact, I have not posted to this blog since May 14, 2011, the day before leaving for my wonderful trip to Ireland. I promise that details will follow. Reasons for the seven-week hiatus are many; more travels upon my return to this side of the pond; the on-going search for a new location for our monastery; celebration of my Dad's 90th birthday; the annual novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help; and a myriad of other normal day to day kinds of things. In time there will be updates on all of this. In an effort to start that update, I am publishing below the letter sent out by our community in preparation for the novena.

Dear Friends, Spring, 2011

Once again we invite you to the annual novena in honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, June 19-27th. Our country and our world are in great need today on so many levels. Let us bring these needs with full confidence to the Mother that God has given us, the Mother to whom the Son entrusted us from the cross, saying, ‘Behold your Mother!’ Yes, we turn to Mary, who is always ready to help us. We confidently invoke her powerful intercession as we prepare for her feast day on June 27th. You can send us your intentions to be place before her picture in our chapel. Please join with us as we pray to God though Mary for the general intentions of the novena:

• the poor, the sick, the suffering people of our world

• peace and harmony for all families and nations

• an end to violence and war, and the safe return of our armed forces

• a future full of hope for our young people

• our Church and all its needs, for healing and holiness

• the guidance of the Holy Spirit upon our President and Congress

• those coping with natural disasters

• vocations to the religious life and priesthood

If you are able you join us at Mass on these days the times are as follows:

Sunday, June 19th 11:00 a.m.

Monday – Friday, June 20-24th 8:00 a.m.

Evening Triduum of Masses:

SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND MONDAY, JUNE 25TH – 27TH 7:30 p.m.

We will have Rev. Kevin O’Neil, CSsR, a native of Kingston, as our celebrant and homilist for the Triduum, June 25-27. Fr. O’Neil, has a Ph.D. in Systematic and Moral Theology and teaches at Washington Theological Union in Washington D.C. He has co-authored a book, "Seeking Goodness and Beauty: The Use of the Arts in Theological Ethics" We are delighted to have Fr. Kevin with us these days.

We began this year of 2011 with the blessing of being able to care at home for our Sr. Peg, with the help of the wonderful people of Hospice, during her final months. Sister died peacefully on February 21, 2011, with the community surrounding her with love and prayers.

We look forward to welcoming many of you, especially for the concluding Triduum. It will be the last one hosted by our community here in our beautiful Chapel, as we prepare to move by June 1, 2012. As we write this letter we do not yet know where we will be going but we place our trust in God’s loving Providence, and entrust this intention, too, to the kindness of your prayers.

At the end of January we received this news from the newly elected Redemptorist leadership, Rev. Kevin Moley, CSsR Provincial and his Council that a decision had been made by their Chapter to end Redemptorist ministry at Mount St. Alphonsus in January of 2012.

The Church Communities, also known as the Bruderhof, have leased the entire property and plan to continue the use of the existing facilities as a religious community and an educational center. Some of the property will be used for farming, which hearkens back to the days when Redemptorists first worked the land when it served as the Congregation’s North American seminary.

Our monastic community was begun by the first Redemptoristine Nuns to come to the United States. After fifty-four years of living our life of prayer along the Hudson River we will miss living beside the majestic Mount and all the priests, brothers and you, the people who have graced its halls and our lives over the years.

Our Foundress, Ven. Mother Maria Celeste Crostarosa, a dear friend of St. Alphonsus, knew well what it was like to move when she left the founding Redemptoristine monastery in Scala, Italy and ended her wandering in Foggia.

In her mystical writings Celeste often spoke of Jesus as the Wayfarer (uomo viatore): the ‘One on the Way’ doing the work of redemption during his thirty-three years here on earth. We are called to be a ‘Living Memory’ of Him in the here and now, ‘united to him through a union of love and holy works, and through the grace of the Holy Spirit we will continue to carry out the salvific plan of love of the Father of Jesus, living once again with His believers.’ The Mystic Who Remembered by Rev. Joseph Oppitz, CSsR

As a Church gathered in prayer we can obtain many graces from God through Mary’s powerful intercession. If you live at a distance or are unable to come, pray from your own special place. You are part of the ascending chorus of prayer, and God and Mary will be pleased with your offering of petition, praise and thanksgiving.

Your Redemptoristine Sisters in Esopus

NOVENA PRAYER

Holy Mary, help all in distress, encourage the fainthearted, console the sorrowful, be the advocate of all the clergy and religious, strengthen family life,bring peace to our world, intercede for all God’s holy people; let all feel your aid who implore your Perpetual Help.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for us.

That we may become worthy of the promises of Christ.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us your Mother Mary,whose miraculous image we venerate, to be our Motherever ready to help us, grant we pray, that we who earnestly implore your aid may deserve to enjoy perpetually the fruit of your redemption.You who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help

Pray for Us

Holmily II Perpetual Help Triduum

No Longer Places of Sacrifice, But People...

Mary, the Altar of Sacrifice

Main altar St. Mary's Church, Annapolis, Maryland Redemptorist Parish

Here is a summary, really a pale reflection, of Fr. Bruce Lewandowski's second homily during our Triduum for the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

Readings:Romans 12: 9-16, Isaiah 12:2-2,4,5-6, Luke 1:39-56 (Visitation)

*****************************

In my neighborhood of Philadelphia it is not uncommon to see shrines set up on this or that corner, in front of an old building or near a vacant lot. They usually mark the locations of a tragic death, a tragic loss of life. It may have been a drug deal gone wrong, a drive-by shooting or a terrible auto accident. These shrines take on the appearance of altars complete with flowers, votive candles, food or other offerings. It is also common to find shrines like this in the homes of Hispanic-Americans to help the family to remember the deceased among family and friends.

"I myself am the bread of life. You and I are the bread of life.

Taken and blessed, broken and shared by Christ

that others might live."

(Fr. Bruce punctuated his homily by singing this verse.)

So in my neighborhood, at the corners of C and Cambria, at D and Somerset, at B and Lehigh I find altars. They are not unlike the altars of Goshen, Bethel, Gilgal, Carmel, Horeb - all altars of Israel - places in the Hebrew scriptures - places to remember God's presence with the people and God's action among them. Associated with these altars are people like Cain and Abel, Elijah at Carmel and Abraham and Isaac.

"I myself am the bread of life. You and I are the bread of life,

taken and blessed, broken and shared by Christ

that the world might live."

We can really get caught up in the story of Abraham and Isaac. It is so dramatic. We wait to hear how Isaac will be spared and sigh with relief when the ram is caught in the thicket and can be used for the sacrifice instead of Isaac. For us Mary is the new Abraham. What is promised to the patriarch ("I will make your descendants more numerous than the sands on the seashore or the stars in the sky...") is fulfilled in the matriarch. Abraham hoped for salvation. Mary sees hope and the promise fulfilled as she describes in her Magnificat.

"I myself am the bread of life. You and I are the bread of life,

taken and blessed, broken and shared by Christ

that the world might live."

There are no altars in the New Testament. No altars like that at Bethel, Gilgal or Horeb. But there is a new altar in the visitation story. Mary is the altar at which Elizabeth and John the Baptist worship. Our Mother of Perpetual Help is the altar, Jesus is the sacrifice. Mary is the altar on which Jesus is sacrificed. She does what Abraham couldn't, doesn't do....sacrifice her son.

"I myself am the bread of life. You and I are the bread of life,

taken and blessed, broken and shared by Christ

so that the world might live."

The opposite of selfishness is sacrifice. We keep a large jar of candy at the ready in our office in the rectory. The candy can keep children happy while parents enroll them in school or religious education or arrange a baptism. One day a woman came in with two little girls, the oldest about 6 and the other about 3 or 4. They knew the routine so they were ready for candy. But there was only one piece left. I handed it to the mother who handed it to the oldest girl. This six year old unwrapped the candy, put it to her lips, opened her mouth, put it between her teeth and bit off half of the piece of candy and handed the remaining piece to her little sister. She gave up some of her own so that her sister could have more. The Redemptorist, F.X. Durwell said that we would never be real Redemptorists until we had become ourselves the altar of sacrifice - letting go, giving up.

"I myself am the bread of life. You and I are the bread of life,

taken and blessed, broken and shared by Christ

that the world might live."

Jesus comes from Mary, is given by Mary. Go with less so others can have more. Take, Bless, Break, Pour, Eat, Drink, Go...... It's dangerous to pray to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. She will demand of us what was demanded of her son... suffer and die for the salvation of the world. Take, Bless, Break, Pour, Eat, Drink, Go....

"I myself am the bread of life. You and I are the bread of life,

taken and blessed, broken and shared by Christ

that the world might live."

So we no longer have Goshen, Bethel, Gilgal, Carmel, or Horeb. But Mary, and Sr. Mary Jane and Sr. Paula, and Sr. Peg, and Sr. Moira, and Sr. Lydia - all of the sisters of this community and all of you are altars. Be the altar of sacrifice - so that the world might live.

Homily I - Perpetual Help Triduum

Father Bruce Lewandowski, CSsR

with Sisters, Lydia, Moira, Paula and Maria Paz

of Mother of Perpetual Help Monastery

of Redemptoristine Nuns

Yesterday I promised a bit more about Fr. Bruce's wonderful homily last evening. He has provided me with the barest outline. I hope that even this will offer something for you to contemplate and extend the blessing of our Novena and Father's presence with us.

Readings: Hebrews 5:7-9, Psalm 31, Luke - Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

***********************

During the years I spent on the island of St. Lucia I luxuriated in the sun, the warmth, the water and the fruit. But there was another side to life there - a great deal of violence. Once I was called to the hospital by the family of a young man who had been shot and was not expected to live because the rudimentary hospital in St. Lucia could not possibly provide the surgery necessary. I comforted the young man, a victim of gang vengeance, blessing him with an icon of the Mother of Perpetual Help. Everyone was so afraid - I was afraid. The next morning I returned to the hospital. The bed was empty and I assumed the worst but asked the nurse about the young man. I was told, "Oh, Father he went home - home with his mother. The bullet moved away from his vital organs to a place where it could be easily removed. We sent him home." Then I was really afraid. This was the fear of God, that wholesome fear that comes from utter and total awe.

Think of a time when you were afraid. What did you fear? What are you afraid of now? For most of us the worst fear is the fear of death, our own death and the death of those we love.

Tonight's Gospel story is about Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the temple for his presentation to the priests. There is lots of fear in this story. Mary and Joseph are filled with that holy fear as they fulfill the prescriptions of the Law. Simeon is afraid that he will not live to see the salvation of Israel. Mary must have been struck with fear at Simeon's prediction that a sword would pierce her heart.

The icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help could also be called "Jesus of Many Fears." We do not often think of Jesus being afraid. After all Jesus is all-powerful; he turns a few loaves of bread and some fish into meals for thousands; he is not afraid of men ready to throw stones at the woman caught in adultery: he is not afraid of Lazarus already dead and buried.

But we do know that he must have experienced fear. He must have asked himself, "Am I the one and if I am what does that mean for me?" "Will I have the strength to do what must be done?" "Will I fail?" "What happens after death?" "What is my fate, my destiny, my future?" "What is the will of my Father?" I see the cross, the nails and the lance!" Just like us he knew fear, many of the same fears we experience.

But there is good news. For me the good news was delivered on June 17, 1967, the day on which I was baptised into Jesus Christ. Because of our Baptism we do not have to be afraid. After all, we are dead already. In Baptism we died in Jesus Christ which means that we will live forever, saved from sin and death, to share in everlasting life.

Mary of Perpetual Help holds us as she did Jesus and says, "Do not be afraid. I will help you. Don't be afraid! I will calm your fears."

Freedom from Fear - Day OLPH Triduum

Around 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon Father Bruce Lewandowski, CSsR rang our front door bell. He wanted to let us know that he had arrived at Mt. St. Alphonsus and was 'reporting for duty' as our celebrant and homilist for the Triduum of the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Of course, he was also very thoughtfully offering us the opportunity to fill him in on plans, music, etc. for our Liturgy scheduled for 7:30pm.

Srs. Lydia, Moira, Fr. Bruce, Srs. Paula, Maria Paz

About 30 guests joined us for that Liturgy in our chapel lovingly decorated with floral arrangements by our Sr. Maria Paz. The Liturgy was enhance by organ accompaniment offered by our friend and gifted musician Robert Moore.

Sr. Mary Jane in animated conversation with faithful followers of the Novena

The priests of the Redemptorist Congregation have a reputation for exceptional skills as homilists. They are, after all, known first and foremost as missionary preachers. That is why we are so grateful that each year we are able to have a Redemptorist as our celebrant/homilist for this Triduum of Masses. Last evening Fr. Bruce underscored this gift so evident among our Redemptorist brothers.

Fr. Bruce greeting old friends

Fr. Bruce's central topic was our most basic human fear, the fear of death. It was my plan to offer here a summary of each of his homilies. How I wish his words were available to me in digital format so that I could easily reproduce them. That not being the case Fr. Bruce has promised me some of his notes today. So I will have to publish them later on. But I can tell you that, as the kids say, we were blown away. Is that enough of a tease? Sorry I cannot do better at this moment. Stay tuned.

The Novena 'Community'

Our annual Novena in honor of our Mother of Perpetual Help is a community builder on many levels. First, it builds up the Body of Christ as an opportunity for devotion to our Blessed Mother in the context of worship, especially in the context of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Second, it always serves to build up our own small contemplative monastic community as we prepare for and take part in the Novena but also as we interact with those from the local neighborhood who come to join us. Another large part of this level of community building is receiving the many petitions mailed to us for the Novena. These are read and prayed over. And every one receives a personal response from one of our sisters. Some of the petitions are accompanied by a monetary offering. This year we are well aware of the financial difficulties being endured by so many. So we have been humbled by the generosity reflected in offerings no matter the size. Hearts are so big, gratitude to Our Mother of Perpetual Help is so great. We know too, because people tell us, that our life of prayer is deeply appreciated by those who chose to contact us. Novena time or not, we receive prayer requests throughout the year by every possible means of communication.

The Novena mail and the people who attend our Novena Masses help to extend our community beyond the monastery walls. Since the beginning of the monastic movement, early in the 3rd century, these communities , although enclosed, were open to those around them, to those who traveled to visit them, to those who came for alms, food, or medical care. The enclosure was created to protect the life of prayer but not meant to isolate those who were praying.

When this community decided to make the Perpetual Help Novena a public event about 25 years ago there was an evening Mass every day of the nine day Novena. I remember those days and attended regularly. But in the late 1990s, as the demolition of our old monastery approached and the requirements of moving into a new one loomed large, the nine days of evening Masses preached by the same Redemptorist became impossible to consider. For the last eight years, we've had evening Masses and a particular priest as celebrant and homilist for only the Triduum of the Feast, June 25-26. A few people come to our early morning masses on the first days of the Novena. A couple we'd never met before has been coming this year and thus we have made new friends. They have found a welcoming community they would not have known about except for the announcement of our Novena in their parish bulletin. So the intimacy of those morning Mass makes for a very warm atmosphere.

In this way another level of community building goes on. We enlarge the community of friends - people we can call friends of the monastery - people who have found a welcoming place in our contemplative atmosphere. We hope they know this mutual blessing. In all of this our Blessed Mother must be pleased.

So for the next three days, the Triduum of the Feast, Fr. Bruce Lewandowski, CSsR will be the celebrant and homilist at our Masses. Saturday's Mass will be at 2:00pm in the afternoon. We hope for a good turn out. It is usually an occasion on which we see many old friends and make new ones too. We hope that this siege of dark rainy weather will clear and allow for our tradition of refreshments outdoors following the Mass. But, whatever the weather, we know that our Mother of Perpetual will be honored and that our community building at every level will be pleasing to our loving God.

Deciphering an Icon

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

A Traditional Eastern Icon

with Layers of Theological Meaning

This image was so present in my childhood and youth - pre-Vatican II Italian immigrant Catholicism with a little Irish influence thrown in by the Sisters of St. Joseph who taught me in high school. Although I regularly attended Tuesday night Novena to OLPH, Miraculous Medal and the Infant Jesus of Prague at our parish Church, I was not attracted to what I thought was a rather dark and odd style of the Perpetual Help image. I knew nothing of the ancient tradition of icons in the East. Many years later, when I found this Mary ubiquitous in places Redemptorist or Redemptoristine I was rather confused. How come this madonna of my Italian-American culture was so revered by these non-Italians? Little did I know. But now you know the story.

My ignorance of the tradition of icons in the East also kept me from full appreciation of this image as a theological text, which is what all those rather odd, out of perspective icons really are.

Once again I will borrow material from information provided by the Perpetual Help Center. Have been asked to correct misinformation given yesterday. That center is no longer located in the Bronx but is operating out of the new Redemptorist Office for Mission Advancement (ROMA) in Baltimore. The link brings you to that site.

The Picture's Meaning

Take another look at the icon at the top of this article. Frightened by the vision of two angels showing Him the instruments of the Passion, the Christ Child has run to His Mother, almost losing, in His haste, one of the tiny sandals. Mary holds Him in her arms reassuringly, lovingly. But notice her eyes. They look not at Jesus, but at us, expressing her plea to avoid sin and love her son.

The small hands of Christ are pressed into Mary's, as a reminder that, just as on earth He placed himself entirely in her hands for protection, so now in heaven He has given into her hands all graces to distribute to those who ask for her assistance.

This is the principal message of the picture. A Byzantine icon, however, is replete with other symbols.

Greek letters at top left and right - Greek initials for "Mother of God" (Theotokos)

Star on Mary's veil - She is the star of the sea ...who brought the light of Christ to the darkened world ... the star that leads us to the safe port of heaven.

Greek Initial above left angel - stands for St. Michael the Archangel. He is depicted as holding the lance and the gall-sop of Christ's Passion.

Mary's Mouth - is small for silent recollection. Mary ponders everything in her heart.

Red Tunic - the color worn by virgins at the time of Christ.

Dark Blue Mantle - the color worn by mothers in Palestine. Mary is both Virgin and Mother.

Christ's Hands - turned palms down into his mother's, indicate that the Graces of Redemption are in her keeping.

Golden Crown - appears in some versions of the icon. A jewel crown was place on the original picture by order of the Holy See in 1867. It was a token of gratitude for the many favors granted by Mary under the title of "Perpetual Help." The crown was removed in a recent restoration so that the integrity of the original icon form be preserved and honored.

Greek Initial above angel on right are for St. Gabriel the Archangel. He holds the Cross and the nails of the Passion.

Mary's Eyes - are large for all our troubles. They are turned toward us always.

Greek Initials below Gabriel are for Jesus Christ.

Mary's Left Hand - supporting Christ, comforting the one who belongs to her. Her left hand is open toward us ready to support us in our needs.

Mary's Right Hand - directs us to Jesus, points to Him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Falling Sandal - perhaps the symbol of a soul clinging to Christ by one last thread. But also, Jesus has run to his mother is fear for comfort and protection with such speed that he has lost his shoe. We too are to run to Perpetual Help with such abandon.

Background - the gold is symbolic of Heaven where Jesus and Mary are now enthroned. The gold also shines through their clothing, showing the heavenly joy they bring to tired human hearts.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help

A "FAQ" Article for
Our Mother of Perpetual Help

Each year our special devotion to the Blessed Mother under the title of 'Perpetual Help' has been featured here. For many Catholics of a certain age this image of Mary is a very familiar one but often its history and the reason for its special significance to the Redemptorist family remains a mystery. The story provided here should fill in many gaps. It has been provided by the Perpetual Help Center, Bronx, New York.

Painted in tempera on hard nutwood, 21 inches by 17 inches the original picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is one of many copies of the famed Hodeguitria of St. Luke (the picture of Our Lady, reputedly painted by St. Luke, venerated for centuries at Constantinople as a miraculous icon, destroyed by the Turks in 1453). Although one of many copies, is it the one copy singled out by the Blessed Mother herself as the means of special favors. Today it is enshrined above the high altar in the Redemptorist Church of San Alfonso in Rome, Italy. How it got there is a long story.

At the close of the 15th century, a merchant stole the picture from its shrine on the island of Crete. He miraculously survived a tumultuous sea voyage and finally brought the icon to Rome. There, before he died, he gave it to a Roman friend, begging him to have it placed in a worthy church. The friend did not do so.

Our Lady then appeared, urging the Roman to comply with the request, threatening him even with death. At his wife's word, however, the man chose to ignore the apparition. He died shortly afterward. Not to be refused, Our Lady appeared to the little daughter of the family, "Go to your mother and grandfather," she commanded, "and say to them: 'Holy Mary of Perpetual Help warns you to take her from your house; else all of you shall soon die.' " The girl relayed the message to her mother. Panic-stricken, the woman promised to obey.

Our Lady then told the little girl just where the picture should be placed: in the church "between the basilica of St. Mary Major and that of St. John Lateran." In solemn procession, on March 27, 1499, the icon was carried to that church, the church of St. Matthew the Apostle. The dame day a miracle occurred; a man's arm, crippled beyond use, was completely restored.

For 300 years, the picture hung over the main altar in the church of St. Matthew the Apostle, loved by all, renowned far and wide for miracles. Then came June, 1798. Napoleon entered Rome. The church of St. Matthew was leveled to the ground. The picture disappeared. For 64 years it remained hidden, almost forgotten until one day at recreation, in the Redemptorist house in Rome, one of the Fathers mentioned having read, in an old book, that their present church, San Alfonso, was built on the ruins of St. Matthew's, where once was enshrined a miraculous picture: Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The named startled Father Michael Marchi. He recalled, as a boy, having served Mass in the oratory of the Irish Augustinians at Santa Maria in Posterula. There he had seen the picture because an old Brother had pointed it out to him.

Some months later, in February, Father Francis Blosi, S.J., preached on "the lost Madonna of Perpetual Help," told how it was Our Lady's wish that the picture be enshrined in the church "between the basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran." Word got back to the Redemptorists. Word got back to the Redemptorists. The Superior General was informed. But he waited three more years. He wanted to be certain.

Finally, on December 11, 1865, the whole matter was presented to Pope Pius IX. On January 19, 1866, the miraculous picture was brought once more to the site of its former glory, the church between the two basilicas, now that of San Alfonso. With this move the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, the Redemptorists, were charged with the mission to promote devotion to the Blessed Mother under the title of Our Lady of Perpetual Help whose image is venerated it the icon. Three months later, it was solemnly enshrined. And on June 23, 1867, it was crowned by an elaborate jeweled tiara affixed to the original icon.

Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help

Mother of Mercy ......

There is one feast or a solemnity after another at this time in June. But for us these nine days are most special as the Novena in preparation for the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help on the 27th, next Saturday. Our community of contemplative nuns was founded under the protection of Our Mother of Perpetual Help and our monastery bears her name. This icon dominates our chapel and we rejoice to welcome many during these days to share our devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, under this title.

Should you wish to join us in the Novena, here is our simple prayer:

Novena Prayer
All: Holy Mary, help all in distress, encourage the fainthearted, console the sorrowful, be the advocate of all the clergy and religious, strengthen family life, bring peace to our world, intercede for all God’s holy people, let all feel your aid who implore your perpetual help.


Leader: Our Mother of Perpetual Help,
pray for us.

Response: That we may become worthy
of the promises of Christ.


All: O Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us your Mother Mary, whose miraculous image we venerate, to be our Mother ever ready to help us, grant we pray, that we who earnestly implore her aid may deserve to enjoy perpetually the fruit of your redemption. You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Redemptoristine Contemplative Nuns Honor Mother Of Perpetual Help on Her Feast - June 27

Our chapel was filled to overflowing for Mass in Honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help on her feast. Father Dennis Billy, CSsR once again began his homily with a personal note. This time he spoke of his young nephew Andrew. As typical a pre-schooler as any, Andrew is always active, always asking questions, always needing an adult eye lovingly monitoring his adventures. Father Dennis reported that his sister, Andrew's mom, tells him that mothering is the toughest job in the world.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help shows us the human face of Christ. The icon has been interpreted to be a depiction of the young Jesus fleeing from a nightmare of the Cross directly into the protection of his mother's arms. She comforts her son and comforts us too when we have nightmares of our own.

Father Dennis spoke of the Gospel, the vignette of Jesus entrusting his mother to John and John to his mother in his last agony. Then he says, "I thirst." Only to be followed by, "It is finished." Part of the work of redemption was Jesus gift of Mary to us in the words, "Here is your mother" and then "It is finished."

St. Alphonsus de Liguori wrote and published over one hundred theological and spiritual works. Perhaps his most famous book is The Glories of Mary. Alphonsus wrote about the desire of Mary to have us seek her and invoke her aid in order that she can be of help to us. And her love for us is so great that she does not wait for us but anticipates our prayers, always looking out for our welfare. We must bring her all our needs even though she already knows what they are. We must bring her our nightmares - the needs of our body, mind, spirit, family, community, country, society and world. And all of our prayers to Mary are uttered within the context of the Eucharist, the source and summit of our spiritual lives as followers of Christ. In that Eucharist we receive Jesus's gift of Himself, we receive the Son of Mary, who is our Redeemer, the One to whom Mary is our constant guide.

Contemplative Nuns Celebrate Patronal Feast

Vigil of the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help

In the last few days Father Dennis Billy, CSsR, celebrant and homilist for our Masses of the Triduum of this great feast, had the rather shocking experience of going to the doctor for a regular check-up and ending up in the hospital. It was all about his heart. This is all the more shocking because Father Dennis is a young-looking fifty or so years, spare of frame and totally committed to his daily run up hill and dale here in Esopus or through the busy streets of Rome where he is a professor. As he began his homily last evening he listed the technology available to measure the function of the heart: EKG, blood pressure gauge, electrocardiogram, echo cardiogram, stress test, and angiogram. But he insisted there is another science of the heart, what St. Alphonsus called the 'silence of the saints'. It is the saints who teach us about the inner workings of the heart.

Mary is a master teacher. As we learned from the Gospel story of the Annunciation Mary listened. Her heart was open to the word of the angel and the Word of God who would come to rest beneath her heart. Mary teaches us in two very important ways. She reminds us of the human face of God we behold in Jesus. And she reveals our destiny, what we are called to become, a disciple of Jesus. Father asked us to ponder, as Mary would, a few questions in our heart. Can we see the human face of Go? Do we hope to be fully alive and redeemed? How does God speak to you? What is God saying right now?

This evening Father spoke again of his hospitalization for tests and of getting temporarily 'lost'. Callers and visitors could not find him because he was not in the ER nor was he in a room so the computer 'thought' he wasn't in the hospital at all. He felt as if he had become invisible and asked us if we'd ever felt like we had just fallen off everyone's radar screen. Finally his sister found him and when she pulled open the curtain surrounding him he experience much joy in the sight of a familiar face.

He had just read to us the Gospel story of Mary's visitation, her reaching out to her cousin in need. By virtue of the presence of the Incarnate Word in her womb she became a disciple of Jesus. In this act of generosity she demonstrates what discipleship means. She had great concerns about her welfare and the welfare of her child but she extended herself. So this story tells us what it means to be a disciple. We must allow the Word of God to take shape in our hearts where we ponder its mystery. We must be present to others with our eyes, ears and hands reaching out in service, friendship and kinship to fulfill the needs of others.

We may feel forgotten or lost but Our Mother of Perpetual Help reminds us that we will never be forgotten. She reminds us that God desires us and wants us to bear fruit and nurture the Word in our hearts.

Jesus comes to us every day in the Eucharist. Mary visits us too whenever Jesus comes into the world and into our hearts. In this 'visitation' she helps us to be faithful disciples.

We are grateful to Father Dennis Billy, CSsR

for sharing his story, these insights

and his love of Our Blessed Mother

with us during this Triduum.

Entering the Triduum of the Feast of Mother of Perpetual Help

Once again we have come to the 25th of the month, always special to us as we remember the Incarnation of Our Redeemer and renew our vows. Today, continuing our Novena, we begin the triduum of the Feast of Perpetual Help, patroness of our monastery. Father Dennis Billy, CSsR, will be the celebrant and homilist for the Triduum Masses. He has just returned to the U.S. from his teaching assignment at the Academy Alphonsianum in Rome.

The last line of our renewal of vows formula reads, "I trust in your mercy, Father and in the maternal help of Mary, Mother of Jesus and my mother, to remain faithful to my covenant." With these words in in so many of our prayers and rituals each day we entrust ourselves to the Mother who gives us perpetual help. If you have not already read the Novena Prayer you will scroll down to it and be drawn into our expression of gratitude and trust to the Mother of Jesus.

If possible, a hint of Father Billy's wisdom and inspiration will appear here. Do scroll down in the sidebar to the list of LINKS. There you will find a link to the site of the Baltimore Province of Redemptorists. An article about how our sisters relate to their patroness will appear there.

Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for us.

That we may become worthy of the promises of Christ.

Mother of Perpetual Help Novena Begins Tomorrow

Contemplative Redemptoristine Nuns Honor the Patroness

of Their Monastery

It is the custom to give especially significant names to monasteries. Sometimes it may be just the name of the place and sometimes it is a name significant to the charism or history of the Order. I learned just yesterday that the name of our monastery, Mother of Perpetual Help, was probably suggested by the Redemptorists who had invited these contemplative nuns to come from Canada to a monastery they would provide on the grounds of their major seminary in Esopus, New York. While the Redemptorist Congregation was especially commissioned in 1866 by Pope Pius IX to make Our Mother of Perpetual Help known throughout the world, Redemptoristines too have long felt an affinity to Our Blessed Mother under this title. Certainly they had frequently sought her intercession as they considered starting a new foundation in the United States. Since the the entire process of discernment regarding the move, selection of the party of sisters who would enter new territory, the establishment of a new community in a large and fully equipped monastery, and all that has been experienced in the intervening years had been placed before the image of Perpetual Help over and over again, this year's Novena and Feast are especially significant. This is the fiftieth anniversary year of Mother of Perpetual Help Monastery.

Please join us in expressing loving gratitude for favors granted in the past and in placing ever more pressing needs before this image of Mary, our Mother.

NOVENA PRAYER

Holy Mary, help all in distress, encourage the fainthearted, console

the sorrowful, be the advocate of all the clergy and religious,

strengthen family life, bring peace to our world,

intercede for all God's holy people;

let all feel your aid who implore your Perpetual Help.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for us.

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us your Mother Mary,

whose miraculous image we venerate, to be our Mother,

ever ready to help us, grant we pray, that we who earnestly

implore her aid may deserve to enjoy perpetually the

fruit of your Redemption. You who live and reign,

for ever and ever. Amen