The Story of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
A Story of Faith, Providence, and a Mother’s Love
The icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is one of the most beloved images of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Catholic Church. For centuries, Christians around the world have turned to Mary under this title, seeking her intercession, comfort, and protection.
The story of this sacred icon spans continents, centuries, wars, and countless lives touched by God’s grace. It is a story of loss and rediscovery, of faithful people who preserved a treasured image through difficult times, and of a mission entrusted by the Church to share devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help with the world.
As Pope Pius IX famously instructed the Redemptorist Missionaries:
“Make Her known throughout the world.”
Today, that mission continues, including here at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish.
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The Story of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
The icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is often called a “visual Gospel.” Every detail has meaning and points us toward Jesus Christ. Through colors, gestures, symbols, and expressions, the icon tells the story of God’s love and Mary’s role in salvation history.
Unlike a traditional painting, an icon is written as a prayer. Icons are intended to draw the viewer into contemplation and help us encounter the mysteries of our faith.
The icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help combines both Eastern and Western Christian traditions and has inspired devotion for centuries. It reminds us that Mary is always ready to help her children and lead them to her Son, Jesus.
The icon depicts four figures:
Mary holds Jesus close while looking directly at us, inviting us to place our trust in her maternal care. Jesus looks toward the angels, who present the instruments of His future Passion.
Together, these figures reveal the mystery of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection, and Mary’s loving participation in God’s plan of salvation.
One of the most touching details in the icon is the way Jesus clings to His mother’s hand.
As the Child Jesus sees the instruments of His future suffering, He turns quickly toward Mary for comfort and protection. His gesture reminds us of our own need to seek refuge in God’s love during difficult moments.
Mary’s steady embrace assures us that she is always near, helping us remain close to Christ through every trial and challenge.
If you look closely, you will notice that one of Jesus’ sandals appears to be slipping from His foot.
This detail symbolizes the urgency with which He runs to His mother after seeing the instruments of His Passion. It reflects both His humanity and the fear He experienced as He contemplated the suffering that awaited Him.
For many believers, the loose sandal is also a reminder that we can run to Mary with confidence whenever we experience fear, uncertainty, or sorrow.
The two angels are the Archangels Michael and Gabriel.
Archangel Michael, shown on the left, carries the lance and the sponge used during Christ’s crucifixion.
Archangel Gabriel, shown on the right, carries the cross and the nails.
By presenting these instruments, the angels remind us of the sacrifice Jesus would one day make for the salvation of the world.
The instruments of the Passion are objects associated with Christ’s suffering and crucifixion.
In the icon, these include:
These symbols remind us that Jesus willingly embraced suffering out of love for humanity. Even as a child, the icon points toward His ultimate mission: our redemption.
Mary’s gaze is one of the most striking features of the icon.
Rather than looking at Jesus, she looks outward toward the viewer.
This symbolizes her role as a mother who notices the needs of her children and invites them to come to Christ. Her expression is both compassionate and serious, reminding us that she understands our struggles and continually intercedes for us.
Through her gaze, Mary seems to say:
“Do not be afraid. Bring your concerns to Jesus.”
The colors used in the icon are rich in meaning.
Mary’s Dark Blue Mantle
Represents her purity, fidelity, and role as Queen of Heaven.
Red Tunic
Symbolizes love, sacrifice, and participation in Christ’s saving mission.
Jesus’ Green Garment
Represents life, hope, and His humanity.
Gold Background
Symbolizes the glory of Heaven and God’s eternal presence.
Every color reminds us that this image is not simply art, but a reflection of spiritual realities.
The star on Mary’s veil is a traditional symbol of her title:
Star of the Sea (Stella Maris).
Just as sailors once relied on the stars to guide them safely home, Christians look to Mary as a guide who leads them to Jesus.
The star reminds us that Mary always points beyond herself to her Son.
The title “Our Lady of Perpetual Help” expresses the Church’s confidence in Mary’s constant care and intercession.
“Perpetual” means ongoing, continuous, and unfailing.
As our spiritual mother, Mary continually prays for us and helps us draw closer to Jesus. Through every joy, challenge, and uncertainty in life, we can confidently ask for her help.
This title reminds us that we are never alone and that God’s love is always present through the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help teaches us to trust God in every circumstance.
Like Jesus, we can turn to Mary when we face fear, uncertainty, or suffering. Like Mary, we are called to trust God’s plan and remain faithful to Him.
For more than five centuries, this sacred image has inspired believers around the world to deepen their relationship with Christ.
Today, it continues to remind us of a timeless truth:
Mary’s greatest desire is to lead us to her Son, Jesus Christ.
The Story of the Icon
Many titles have been given to this sacred image throughout history, including “Virgin of the Passion,” “Golden Madonna,” and “Mother of the Redemptorists.”
Yet the title by which she became known to the world is “Our Lady of Perpetual Help.”
This title reflects the confidence Christians have always placed in Mary, trusting that she continually intercedes for her children and leads them closer to her Son, Jesus Christ.
The history of the icon is more than the story of a painting. It is a story of Divine Providence working through ordinary people and extraordinary circumstances across centuries of Christian history.
According to a centuries-old tradition, a merchant from the island of Crete stole a miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin from a church and secretly transported it by ship toward Rome.
During the voyage, a violent storm threatened the ship and all aboard. Through what many believed to be Mary’s protection, the merchant survived and eventually arrived safely in Rome.
Near the end of his life, he confessed his actions and begged a friend to return the icon to a church where it could once again be publicly venerated.
After several delays and difficulties, the Blessed Virgin is said to have appeared to a young Roman girl and requested that the icon be placed in the Church of St. Matthew the Apostle, located between the Basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran.
On March 27, 1499, the image was solemnly installed there, where devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help began to flourish.
For nearly 300 years, the icon remained in the Church of St. Matthew, attracting pilgrims and inspiring devotion throughout Rome.
The church became known for the miraculous image it housed, and countless faithful came to pray before the icon, entrusting their needs to the Mother of God.
When Irish Augustinian friars later assumed responsibility for the church and monastery, they too developed a deep devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
In 1798, war devastated Rome and severely damaged the Church of St. Matthew.
As the religious community dispersed, the icon was carefully preserved and eventually moved to the Church of St. Mary in Posterula.
There, hidden in a private chapel, the icon spent decades largely forgotten by the public.
Only a few people remembered its history, including an elderly Augustinian brother named Augustine Orsetti, who never stopped believing that one day the icon would once again be honored by the faithful.
Among those who frequently heard Brother Augustine speak about the forgotten icon was a young altar server named Michael Marchi.
Brother Augustine repeatedly told him:
“Do not forget the Virgin of St. Matthew. It is a miraculous picture.”
Those words would remain in Michael’s heart for years and would later play a crucial role in the rediscovery of the icon.
In 1855, the Redemptorist Missionaries acquired property on Via Merulana in Rome.
Unknowingly, they had obtained the very site where the Church of St. Matthew had once stood.
Years later, while researching the history of the area, they learned about the famous icon that had disappeared after the destruction of the church.
Father Michael Marchi, now a Redemptorist priest, remembered Brother Augustine’s stories and knew exactly where the icon could be found.
The search was over.
The icon had been rediscovered.
The Redemptorists petitioned Pope Pius IX for permission to place the icon in their church.
The Pope approved the request and instructed that the image once again be displayed between St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran, just as tradition said Mary had requested centuries earlier.
According to tradition, Pope Pius IX gave the Redemptorists a mission that continues to this day:
“Make Her known throughout the world.”
On April 26, 1866, the icon was solemnly enshrined in the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome, where it remains today.
From there, devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help spread across the globe.
In 1990, a major restoration of the icon was undertaken by specialists from the Vatican Museums.
Scientific analysis revealed important details about the age and construction of the image while helping preserve it from further deterioration.
The restoration ensured that future generations would continue to encounter this treasured image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and deepen their devotion to Christ through the intercession of His Blessed Mother.
Today, millions of Catholics throughout the world pray before copies of this icon and entrust their lives to the loving care of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
At Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Glendale, we proudly carry her name and seek to follow her example of faith, trust, and discipleship.
May she continue to guide us, protect our families, and lead us always to her Son, Jesus Christ.
A Story of Faith, Providence, and a Mother’s Love
Mother of Perpetual Help,you have been blessed and favoured by God.We come to you today as your loving children.Watch over us and take care of us.As you held the child Jesus in your loving arms,so take us in your arms.He who is mighty has done great things for you,and God’s greatest fear is that,in time of temptation,we might fail to call out to you and become lost children.
Intercede for us, dear Mother,in obtaining pardon for our sins,love for Jesus, final perseverance,and the grace always to call upon you,Mother of Perpetual Help.