Mary, Help of Christians of Parañaque - Parañaque's Attentive Lady
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| Mary Help of Christians of Parañaque City |
The image of Mary, Help of Christians probably is one of the most widely recognized image of the Blessed Virgin in the world which shows her attentiveness to her devotees and and at the same time, demonstrating her power against the enemies of God.
The Image
The image of Mary, Help of Christians is based from the description of St. John Bosco when he commissioned the original painting:
"Our Lady stands out in the center, bathed in light and majesty. She is surrounded by ranks of Angels, who are doing Her honor as their Queen. On Her right hand, She holds a scepter, the symbol of Her power, and on Her left arm, She carries the Child with arms outstretched as a sign of the graces and mercy He offers to all who have recourse to His royal Mother. "
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| The original painting of Mary, Help of Christians |
The origin of the devotion to Mary, Help of Christians began in the early years of the church and it reached its peak during the Naval Battle of Lepanto when the Christian fleet were victorious against the Turkish Muslim fleet that threatened the entire Christendom. Pope Pius V, in gratitude, instituted the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary on October 7, 1571 and added the invocation "Help of Christians" in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In 1809, Rosary petitions once again went up for Mary’s help. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte had responded to his excommunication by abducting Pope Pius VII with the intention of pressuring him to sign a treaty that would give the Emperor powers over the Church and state in France and all conquered territories.
While Christians everywhere prayed to Mary for the frail, exiled pontiff at Fontainbleau, Napoleon encountered the winters of Moscow and met his defeat in Waterloo that he was forced to sign his abdication from power. On May 24, 1814, Pope Pius VII returned home from his five year exile in Rome. A year later in 1815, Pope Pius VII consecrated that day perpetually to Mary and instituted the Feast of Our Lady under the title "Mary, Help of Christians", to commemorate the unhoped for help of Mary, most holy toward the Pope and the Christian people.
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| St. John Bosco teaching his students about the devotion to Mary, Help of Christians |
St. John Bosco, the founder of the Salesian Order, became the instrument of worldwide propagation of the devotion to Our Lady as Help of Christians. In 1863, Our Lady appeared to Don Bosco asking him to build a Church to honor Her as Mary Help of Christians with these words: “This is my house, from here My Glory shall shine forth.”
Don Bosco, as he is popularly called, started working against all odds – with lack of funds and the presence of strong anti-clerical act by civil officials during that time. With strong devotion to Mary Help of Christians and Jesus Christ, he built the church under miraculous circumstances with financial help coming from practically unknown devotees. In 1865, Don Bosco asked the artist Thomas Lorenzone to paint the picture of Mary Help of Christians. After three years of work, the painting was finished and put in its place over the main altar of the Basilica. In 1868, Don Bosco completed the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin, Italy and it has become the center of devotions and Mother Church of over 150 shrines dedicated to Mary Help of Christians around the world including the Philippines.
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| The original image of Mary, Help of Christians of Parañaque |
The Arrival of the devotion in the Philippines
The image of Mary, Help of Christians enthroned in one of the Chapels at the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral before the Second World War
The devotion to Mary, Help of Christians began in the Philippines with the appointment of Salesian Archbishop William Piani as Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines. Archbishop Piani was persistent in propagating the devotion to Mary Help of Christians to the point that many bishops have chosen her as the Secondary Protectress of their respective dioceses back in Italy.
Soon after his appointment as the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Piani arrived in the Philippines on November 29, 1922, and brought with him the statue of Mary Help of Christians to Manila – a gift from Blessed Philip Rinaldi, then Rector Major of the Salesians of St. John Bosco. The image was first placed at the Apostolic Delegation House in Malate, Manila and later enthroned at one of the chapels in the Manila Cathedral with the help of then archbishop of Manila Archbishop Michael O’Doherty, DD.
From the moment of the image’s enthronement and with the help of Archbishop Piani’s secretary, Rev. Fr. Luigi La Ravoire Morrow, SDB, the devotion to Mary Help of Christians became known and popular not only in Intramuros, but also in other parts of the country.
In 1942, during the Japanese occupation, Msgr. Cesar Ma. Guerrero took the statue from Intramuros and gave it to Rev. Fr. Jose Pamintuan. who then the parish priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Loreto in Sampaloc, Manila, to kept it there for safekeeping.
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| Mary Help of Christians of Parañaque City |
As Manila was going to ruins with the endless bombings, especially during the Battle for its Liberation, many churches and establishments were fallen to ruins with Intramuros and Sampaloc were no exception. However, there was an oral tradition in which some old ladies found an image of our Blessed Mother at the back of the devastated Sampaloc Church. Upon recognizing that it was the image of Mary Help of Christians, they started to offer Her flowers and candles. Twenty-one ladies took care of the image. When the church was finally renovated these women brought the image to the present site of the Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Loreto.
During her stay at the Loreto Shrine in Sampaloc, Manila, a pious group was formed known as the “Maria Auxiliadora Association” for further propagation of the devotion with the offering of votive masses in her honor every 24th of the month. Over the years, other parishes adopted Mary Help of Christians as Patroness in different places in the country.
The Salesians in the Philippines
In 1951, the first batch of Salesians of Don Bosco arrived in the Philippines after they were expelled from China. The Salesians were surprised to learn of the existence of devotion to MHC as shown in churches dedicated under this title. Then in 1955, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians or the Salesian Sisters, arrived in the Philippines and helped spread the devotion to MHC. The first shrine in the Philippines dedicated to MHC was solemnly blessed and inaugurated in 1969 by Archbishop Carmine Rocco, Apostolic Delegate, and Bishop Pedro Bantigue, Bishop of San Pablo, at the Don Bosco Seminary Canlubang, Laguna.
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| National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians |
In June of 1975 His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin, DD, Archbishop of Manila, created the Parish of Mary Help of Christians and on July 24, 1975 the parish of Mary Help of Christians was officially inaugurated. The Church was solemnly consecrated on December 4, 1976 during the Silver Jubilee Year celebrations of Salesians presence in the Philippines.
On August 15, 1985, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines headed by Archbishop Antonio Mabutas, gave the approval of the statutes bestowing upon the church the title of a National Shrine. The Solemn Proclamation took place on August 24, 1985, the solemn mass and official proclamation of the National Shrine were celebrated with Msgr. Bruno Torpigliani, Jaime Cardinal Sin, the Salesian order and devotees in attendance.
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| Mary Help of Christians of Parañaque City |
In the year 1994, one of the first members of the Association of Mary Help of Christians in Loreto Church had a distant granddaughter who was a member of the Salesian Family who got in touch with Rev. Fr. Vicente Cervania, SDB, Rector of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians and National Director of the Association of Mary Help of Christians based in the National Shrine at Parañaque City. They were personally concerned about the condition of this old and miraculous image of Mary Help of Christians given by Archbishop Piani, in the Loreto Church, she desired that the Blessed Mother be given a rightful place for worthy veneration and devotion of the people.
After proper discernment and meeting Fr. Cervania, SDB wrote a letter to Msgr. Augusto Laban, then parish priest of Loreto Church requesting for the image to be entrusted under the care of the National Shrine dedicated to her. On July 12, 1994, the then Manila Auxiliary Bishop Teodoro Bacani, responded to the letter addressed to the local ordinary and supported the letter sent by Fr. Cervania to Msgr. Laban. After Msgr. Laban granted the humble request, at around noon of August 20, 1994, Fr. Cervania, SDB, together with the then National Shrine parish priest Fr. Danilo Torres, SDB, finally got hold of the precious image from Archbishop Piani. It was formally entrusted by the Loreto Church to the National Shrine.
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| The Pontifical Coronation of Mary, Help of Christians of Parañaque City |
Church Recognition
In line with the centenary celebrations of the arrival of the first image of Mary, Help of Christians in the Philippines, the Congregation for the Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, issued the decree of Pontifical Coronation dated November 16, 2021.
The coronation rites took place on May 24, 2022, on the Feast of Mary, Help of Christians attended by devotees and the Salesian community from different parts of the country.
The devotion
The devotion to Mary as Help of Christians continues to spread all over the country, not only through the help of the Salesian Order but also through the faithful who experienced graces by invoking Our Lady in this unique advocation. Her feast day is still observed every May 24 everywhere in the country and pilgrims continuously flock her shrine up to the present. Today, images of Mary, Help of Christians continuously making her presence known by making visits to different communities, and the erection of chapels, grottos and street shrines across the country.
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| The Coronation Procession of Mary, Help of Christians of Parañaque City |
As we end this blog entry dedicated to Mary, Help of Christians, here is a reminder from St. John Bosco for devotees of Mary, Help of Christians. “Be devoted to Mary most holy; frequently call on her. Never was it known that anyone who trustingly had recourse to her was not promptly heard.”
Reference:
“Devotional Prayers to Mary, Help of Christians – English and Filipino”, National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, Parañaque City, 2022.
“First Propagators”, Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/nationalshrinemaryhelpofchristians/photos/121209169955899 on May 23, 2021.
Gregorio E. Bicomong, Jr. SDB, “The Arrival of Don Bosco in the Philippines”, Makati, Don Bosco Press, 2001.
“Historical Background of Mary, Help of Christians”, Retrieved from http://nsmhcp.weebly.com/history.html on May 22, 2017.
“Mary, Help of Christians Fiesta 2000 Souvenir Program”, National Shrine and Parish of Mary, Help of Christians, Betterliving Subdivision, Parañaque City, 2000.
“Msgr. Augusto Laban (1929 – 2021)”, Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/nationalshrinemaryhelpofchristians/photos/163173719092777 on May 23, 2021.
“Piani”, Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/nationalshrinemaryhelpofchristians/photos/121203249956491 on May 23, 2021.
“The Procession”, Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/nationalshrinemaryhelpofchristians/photos/121224539954362 on May 23, 2021.
Photos:
Malabanan, James Benedict
National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians
Victorino, Gabriel Cedrick
Special thanks to Mr. Andrew Chanco of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians for the guidance on preparing this blogpost dedicated to the Mary, Help of Christians of Parañaque City.
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