Mark Eugene D. Mendoza - 5th YR B.S.

Architecture
FCL1 --- Sir Jaime Nuevo

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE DEVOTION TO THE LADY OF

PERPETUAL HELP ICON

Why are millions of Filipinos attracted and drawn to the icon of Our Mother of
Perpetual Help (OMPH), the image of which appears in all parish churches across
the country?
What makes them join the OMPH Wednesday novena? Why do thousands of people
enter the OMPH National Shrine in Baclaran every day and light candles as they
seek the intervention of the Mother of Perpetual Help?

Why do some 120,000 to 150,000 people congregate in the Baclaran shrine, which
is open 24 hours a day, every Wednesday? Why does this icon attract devotees
coming from all classes, ethnicities, genders, ages, cultural and religious traditions?

There can only be one answer: The people find solace, comfort and compassion as
they gaze at this icon of a Mother who tenderly gazes back at them. For some
devotees, she is the Mother who can assist them in their various needs, from finding
funds to pay for the tuition of children in school to securing a visa to be able to work
abroad.
For others, she is the last resort in a desperate attempt to be healed of a
debilitating illness, or to seek healing for a loved one. Others also approach her to
thank her for blessings received through her interventions.

There have been other Marian devotions introduced in the Philippines since the
coming of the Spanish friars in the late 1500s, to the beginning of the 20th century,
hence the popularity of the devotions to Our Lady of Manaoag, Ina ng Peñafrancia,
Fatima, Lourdes, Guadalupe. However, it is the devotion to OMPH, introduced in the
country only in the late 1940s, that has truly caught the Filipino people’s
imagination.
And yet, how many actually know the origins of this icon and how it reached the
shores of this country?
To celebrate the 150th Jubilee Year of OMPH icon, the members of the Congregation
of the Most Holy Redeemer (known as Redemptorist missionaries) have conducted
all kinds of activities, from organizing congresses to holding missions in far-away
villages across the country, to help the faithful know the icon’s origins and the
meanings of its symbols.

On Dec. 11, 1865, Blessed Pius IX entrusted to Fr. Nicholas Mauron CSsR, the
Superior General of the Redemptorists, this icon, exhorting all Redemptorists to
“make her known to the whole world.” Since April 26, 1866, after its restoration, the
icon had been placed at the altar of the St. Alphonsus Church in Via Merulana,
Rome, where it holds pride of place to this day.

About 150 years later, on April 24-27, an International Congress on the OMPH icon
will be conducted at OMPH National Shrine in Baclaran as the culmination of this
yearlong celebration.

Historical account

But did the icon see the light of day only in 1865? No, it goes way, way back. From a
historical account retrieved from the archives of the Redemptorists in Rome, we
have the following data:
“There is a tradition from the 16th century that tells us about a merchant from the
isle of Crete who stole a miraculous picture from one of its churches. He hid it
among his wares and set out westward. It was only through Divine Providence that
he survived a wild tempest and landed on solid ground. After about a year, he
arrived in Rome with his stolen picture. It was there that he became mortally ill and
looked for a friend to care for him. At his hour of death, he revealed his secret of the
picture and begged his friend to return it to a church. His friend promised to fulfill
this wish, but because his wife did not want to relinquish such a beautiful treasure,
the friend also died without fulfilling the promise.”
“At last, the Blessed Virgin appeared to the 6-year-old daughter of this Roman
family and told her to tell her mother and grandmother that the picture of Holy Mary
of Perpetual Help should be placed in the Church of St. Matthew the Apostle, located
between the basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran.
“After many doubts and difficulties, the mother obeyed and, after consulting with
the clergy in charge of the church, the picture of the Virgin was placed in St.
Matthew’s on March 27, 1499. There it would be venerated during the next 300
years. Thus began the second stage of the history of the icon, and devotion to Our
Mother of Perpetual Help began to spread throughout the city of Rome.”

Enormous treasure

“St. Matthew’s Church was not grand but it possessed an enormous treasure that
attracted the faithful: the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. From 1739 to 1798,
the church and adjacent monastery were under the care of the Irish Augustinians
who had been unjustly exiled from their country and used the monastery as a
formation center for their Roman Province.
“In 1798, war raged in Rome and the monastery and church were almost totally
destroyed. Several Augustinians remained there for a few more years but
eventually they, too, had to leave. Some returned to Ireland, others to new
foundations in America, while the majority moved to a nearby monastery. This last
group brought with them the picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
“In January 1855, the Redemptorist Missionaries purchased Villa Caserta in Rome,
converting it into the general house for their missionary congregation that had
spread to western Europe and North America. On this same property along the Via
Merulana, were the ruins of the Church and Monastery of St. Matthew. Four months
later, construction was begun on a church in honor of the Most Holy Redeemer and
dedicated to Saint Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the congregation. On Dec. 24,
1855, a group of young men began their novitiate in the new house. One of them
was Michael Marchi.
“He had been an altar boy serving Mass at a chapel of the Augustinians where the
icon was installed. When he was already an ordained priest, he informed his
confreres about this icon. Interest grew among the Redemptorists to know more
about the icon and to retrieve it for their church.
“The Superior General, Father Nicholas Mauron, presented a letter to Pope Pius IX in
which he petitioned the Holy See to grant them the icon of Perpetual Help, and that
it be placed in the newly built Church of the Most Holy Redeemer and St. Alphonsus,
which was located near the site where the old Church of St. Matthew had stood. And
this is how the Redemptorists were entrusted with the icon.”

Enthralled Filipinos

The introduction of the icon in the Philippines goes back to the early 1900s. When
Msgr. Thomas Augustine Hendrick was appointed to the Philippines to the See of
Cebu, he immediately saw the need to have priests to look after the spiritual needs
of 500,000 people of the diocese. In the wake of the exit of the Spanish friars
following the Philippine Revolution, there was need for other clergy from other
countries.
Passing through Ireland, Msgr. Hendrick met with the Redemptorist Superior
General, Fr. Andrew Doylan CSsR, to ask him to send Redemptorists to Cebu. With
the favorable response of Fr. Doylan, the first group of Irish Redemptorists to come
to the Philippines took possession of the parish of Opon, in Mactan Island, Cebu,
where a foundation was set up on March 17, 1906.
It was in the Opon church that the Filipinos first saw a copy of the icon who must
have been enthralled by this kind of a Marian image, so different from other Marian
images they had been familiar with. A novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help began
on March 17, 1907, but there were only a few devotees at the beginning.
Annual fiesta

As they moved out of Opon to other parts of Cebu to conduct missions, the
Redemptorists brought the image of the icon. Eventually with more adherents to the
devotion, an annual fiesta to honor OMPH began on June 23, 1907.
The Redemptorists also began to expand their mission to the north, beginning in
Malate and later in Baclaran. From the 1910s to the 1940s, the Redemptorists in the
Visayas had missions in Negros, Leyte, Iloilo, Samar, Bohol and northern Mindanao.
Wherever they went, they introduced the icon to the people.
But the present-day formula of the popular Wednesday novena was introduced only
on May 13, 1946 at the Redemptorist church in Iloilo City. This was after the war,
when Catholic American soldiers were still stationed there. Being familiar with the
novena in the US, they suggested to Fr. Patrick Nulty, CSsR to introduce the novena
to the faithful. From a small number, those who joined reached 500 after only five
months.
It then spread to the Redemptorist church in Cebu City, where the first novena took
place on Sept. 15, 1946; in Lipa City on June 13, 1947; and finally in Baclaran on
June 23, 1948. All novenas were translated from English to the local languages. It
was in Baclaran where the Wednesday novena became greatly popular.

Byzantine style

What is it about the icon that attracts millions of Filipinos? Again, from the archives
of the Redemptorists in Rome:
“This picture was painted in the Byzantine style of the Eastern Church. The purpose
of this style of art is not to show a beautiful scene or person but to convey a
beautiful spiritual message. Because the artist is trying to communicate something
more glorious than anything in this world, the picture isn’t a realistic portrayal. A
Byzantine painting is like a door. Seeing a beautiful door is nice, but who wants to
just stand there looking at the door? We want to open the door and go beyond it.
“That’s how we must approach this picture. The artist, realizing that no one on
earth would ever know what Mary or Jesus really looked like, and that their holiness
could never be depicted in purely human terms, has portrayed their beauty and
their message in symbols. What do you see when you look at this picture?
“First of all you see Mary, because she dominates the picture and because she looks
straight at you—not at Jesus, not at heaven, not at the angels above her head. She
looks at you as if to tell you something very important. Her eyes seem serious, even
sad, but they command attention. The eight-point star on her forehead was
probably added by a later artist to represent the Eastern idea that Mary is the star
that leads us to Jesus. To reinforce the symbolism, there is an ornamental four-point
cross to the left of the star on her forehead.
“Mary’s gaze is fixed on us, but her arms hold Jesus. In Byzantine icons, Mary is
never shown without Jesus because Jesus is central to the faith. Jesus, too, is
wearing the clothes of royalty. Only an Emperor could wear the green tunic, red
sash and gold brocade portrayed in the picture. The Greek initials to the right of the
child and his halo decorated with a cross proclaim that he is Jesus Christ.
“Jesus isn’t looking at us, or at Mary, or at the angels. Though he clings to his
mother, he’s looking away, at something we can’t see—something that made him
run so fast to his mother that one of his sandals has almost fallen off, something
that makes him cling to her for protection and love.

Destiny

“What would frighten a little boy, even the Son of God, so much? The figures that
hover on either side of Jesus and Mary—the Greek letters above them identify them
as Archangels Gabriel and Michael—provide us with the answer. Rather than
carrying harps or trumpets of praise, they bear the instruments of Christ’s Passion.
On the left, Michael holds an urn filled with the gall that the soldiers offered to Jesus
on the cross, the lance that pierced his side and the reed with the sponge. To the
right, Gabriel carries the cross and four nails.
“Jesus has seen part of his destiny—the suffering and death he will undergo. Though
he is God, he is human as well and afraid of this terrifying future. He has run to his
mother, who holds him close in this moment of panic, the same way she will be
close by his side through his life and death. While she can’t spare him his suffering,
she can love and comfort him.
“So why is Mary looking so intently at us instead of her child in need? Her gaze
brings us into the story, makes us part of the painting and the pain. Her gaze tells
us that just as Jesus ran to his mother and found refuge, so too may we run to Mary.
“Her hand does not clasp the hands of her frightened son in a protective grip, but
remains open, inviting us to put our hands in hers and join with Jesus. Mary knows
there are many things in our lives that are dangerous and terrifying, and that we
need someone to turn to in times of suffering and dread. She offers us the same
comfort and love she gave to Jesus. She tells us to run to her as fast as Jesus did, so
fast that we don’t even think about what we wear or how we go, just so we get
there.”

Reverence. Devotion

Today, this icon commands the reverence and devotion of all those who trek to
Baclaran day or night, in rain or under the sun. Located at a most strategic part of
Metro Manila, the OMPH shrine in Baclaran has had its share of significant historical
and contemporary events.
St. Pope John Paul II, when he was still Krakow Archbishop Karol Josef Cardinal
Wojtyla, visited and said Mass at this shrine in February 1973, five years before
becoming Bishop of Rome and 263rd successor to St. Peter. When he visited the
shrine again, it was eight years later when he was already the Pope.
At the height of the Edsa Revolution, on Feb. 9, 1986, the staff of Comelec walked
out of their offices to protest the rigging of the elections by the late dictator,
Ferdinand Marcos, and found solace inside the shrine to protect themselves from
arrest. There were many Eucharistic celebrations during the martial rule years when
the shrine was the site of protest movements.

Sad plight

This tradition continues to this day. In the past years, the shrine’s compound has
welcomed Lumads from Mindanao who camped there as they mobilized their
communities and traveled to Manila to bring to the people’s attention the sad plight
of their communities and the killings of their leaders.
Today inside the shrine compound, one sees on the wall a mosaic-mural project that
includes art installations—possibly the longest mosaic and mural art project in the
Philippines at present. The project has been a work in progress for the last two
years involving a number of artists.
Since the project started, some 3,000 volunteers have taken part in the project—
church goers, devotees, college and university students, religious and many other
individuals. About 30 temporary workers are direct or indirect victims of the
Philippine government’s war on drugs.
The project was initiated and facilitated by Filipino artists Lorena Pacampara, Onay
Antonio and Emil Yap. This work was inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato
Si.”

The image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is an icon, painted on wood, and seems to
have originated around the thirteenth century.  Traditionally, the image is also
known as “Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.”  The icon (about 54 x 41.5 centimeters)
depicts our Blessed Mother Mary, under the title “Mother of God,” holding the Child
Jesus.  The Archangels Michael and Gabriel, hovering in the upper corners, hold the
instruments of the Passion– St. Michael (in the left corner) holds the spear, the wine-
soaked sponge, and the crown of thorns, and St. Gabriel (in the right corner) holds
the cross and the nails.  The intent of the artist was to portray the Child Jesus
contemplating the vision of His future Passion.  The anguish He feels is shown by
the loss of one of His sandals.  Nevertheless, the icon also conveys the triumph of
Christ over sin and death, symbolized by the golden background (a sign of the glory
of the resurrection) and the manner in which the angels hold the instruments, i.e.
like trophies gathered up from Calvary on Easter morning.

In a very beautiful way, the Child Jesus grasps the hand of the Blessed Mother.  He
seeks comfort from His mother, as He sees the instruments of His passion.  The
position of Mary’s hands– both holding the Child Jesus (who seems like a small
adult) and presenting Him to us– convey the reality of our Lord’s incarnation, that
He is true God who became also true man.  In iconography, Mary here is
represented as the Hodighitria, the one who guides us to the Redeemer.  She also is
our Help, who intercedes on our behalf with her Son.  The star painted on Mary’s
veil, centered on her forehead, highlights her role in the plan of salvation as both
the Mother of God and our Mother

According to popular tradition, a merchant acquired the icon of Our Lady of

Perpetual Help from the island of Crete and had it shipped to Rome towards the end
of the fifteenth century.  During the voyage, a terrible storm arose, threatening the
lives of all on ship.  The passengers and crew prayed to our Blessed Mother, and
were saved.

Once in Rome, the merchant, dying, ordered that the image should be displayed for
public veneration.  His friend, who retained the image, received further instructions:
in a dream to his little daughter, the Blessed Mother appeared and expressed the
desire for the image to be venerated in a Church between the Basilicas of St. Mary
Major and St. John Lateran in Rome.  The image, consequently, was housed at the
Church of St. Matthew, and became known as “The Madonna of Saint Matthew.” 
Pilgrims flocked to the church for the next three hundred years, and great graces
were bestowed upon the faithful.

After Napoleon’s troops destroyed the Church of St. Matthew in 1812, the image
was transferred to the Church of St. Mary in Posterula, and remained there for
nearly forty years.  There, the image was neglected and forgotten.

By divine providence, the forgotten image was rediscovered.  In 1866, Blessed Pope
Pius IX entrusted the image to the Redemptorists, who had just built the Church of
St. Alphonsus, down the street from St. Mary Major.  As a boy, the Holy Father had
prayed before the image in the Church of St. Matthew.  He ordered the public
display and veneration of the image, and fixed the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual
Help as the Sunday before the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.  In 1867,
when the image was being carried in a solemn procession through the streets, a
young child was cured, the first of many recorded miracles attributed to Our Lady of
Perpetual Help.

To this day, the Church of St. Alphonsus displays the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual
Help and welcome pilgrims for prayer.  May each of us never hesitate to invoke the
prayers and intercession of Our Blessed Mother in time of need.

The image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is an icon, painted on wood, and seems to
be from around the 13th century. The icon (about 54 x 41.5 centimeters) depicts
our Blessed Mother Mary holding the Child Jesus. The Archangels Michael and
Gabriel are hovering in the upper corners. St. Michael (in the left corner) holds the
spear, the wine-soaked sponge, and the crown of thorns, while St. Gabriel (in the
right corner) holds the cross and the nails.

The anguish Jesus feels is shown by the loss of one of His sandals. Nonetheless, the
icon also conveys the triumph of Christ over sin and death, symbolized by the
golden background (a sign of the glory of the resurrection) and the manner in which
the angels hold the instruments, like trophies gathered up from Calvary on Easter
morning.

The Child Jesus grasps the hand of the Blessed Mother as if seeking comfort from
His mother, as he looks at the instruments of His passion.

The position of Mary’s hands – both holding the Child Jesus (who seems like a small
adult) and presenting Him to us – convey the reality of our Lord’s incarnation, that
He is true God who became also true man.

In iconography, Mary here is represented as the one who guides us to the

Redeemer. She is also our Help, who intercedes on our behalf with her Son. The star
painted on Mary’s veil, centered on her forehead, highlights her role in the plan of
salvation as both the Mother of God and our Mother.

According to a popular tradition, a merchant acquired the icon of Our Lady of

Perpetual Help from the island of Crete and had it shipped to Rome towards the end
of the 15th century.

During the voyage, a terrible storm arose, threatening the lives of all on the ship.
The passengers and crew prayed to our Blessed Mother, and were saved.

Once in Rome, the dying merchant ordered that the image should be displayed for
public veneration. His friend, who retained the image, received further instructions.
The Blessed Mother appeared and expressed the desire for the image to be
venerated in a Church between the Basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran
in Rome.

The image, consequently, was housed at the Church of St. Matthew, and became
known as “The Madonna of Saint Matthew.” Pilgrims flocked to the church for the
next 300 years, and great graces were bestowed upon the faithful.

After Napoleon’s troops destroyed the Church of St. Matthew in 1812, the image
was transferred to the Church of St. Mary in Posterula, and remained there for
nearly 40 years. There, the image was neglected and forgotten.

By divine providence, the forgotten image was rediscovered. In 1866, Blessed Pope
Pius IX entrusted the image to the Redemptorists, who had just built the Church of
St. Alphonsus, down the street from St. Mary Major.

As a boy, the Holy Father had prayed before the image in the Church of St.
Matthew. He ordered the public display and veneration of the image, and fixed the
feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help as the Sunday before the Feast of the Nativity of
St. John the Baptist. In 1867, when the image was being carried in a solemn
procession through the streets, a young child was cured, the first of many recorded
miracles attributed to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
To this day, the Church of St. Alphonsus displays the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual
Help and welcome pilgrims for prayer.

In celebration of the 150 years since the restoration to public devotion of the icon,
last May 18, Pope Francis met with 12 Redemptorist priests who presented him 12
specially commissioned jubilee icons of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

Pope Francis personally blessed the icons. These icons will go to every Redemptorist
Conference. Each Conference will ensure that the icon goes in Visitation to the
various communities and shrines so that they have the experience of Mary visiting
her pilgrim people. It is the expression and renewal of the Redemptorist’s
commitment to the original mandate of Pius IX to “make her known.”

As part of the celebrations for the Jubilee year of the 150th anniversary of the
Redemptorists’ receiving the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Pope Francis has
granted a plenary indulgence.

The indulgence is available to all who make a pilgrimage, between June 27, 2015
and June 27, 2016, to the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome or in any Redemptorist
church anywhere in the world to venerate the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

The usual conditions for obtaining a plenary indulgence apply, i.e., the celebration
of the sacrament of reconciliation, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the
intentions of the Holy Father.

The visit should conclude with the recitation of the Our Father, the Creed and
prayers to Our Blessed Mother.

Due to sickness, old age or some other grave reason, those who are not able to
make a pilgrimage may also obtain the plenary indulgence. They do this by
associating themselves spiritually with the jubilee celebrations and pilgrimages in a
spirit of sorrow for their sins and with the intention of fulfilling the usual conditions.

In doing this, they should seek the mercy of God, offering their sufferings before a
small icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

Pope Francis, the Holy Father, hopes that this significant event will awaken a
renewed and authentic devotion to the Holy Virgin, stirring the entire religious
family and all who share in its charism
to offer an ever more effective evangelical witness. With these wishes, His Holiness
invokes, through the intercession of the Mother of the Redeemer, abundant
heavenly graces, and sends the Apostolic Blessing.

Luke 14:25-33
Jesus jolts us into thinking about the freedom we need; he wants us to resist
anything that causes us to settle, to nest, to preen or plump for comfort. I
ask God to help me to grow in freedom. As I notice where I opt for security,
am stuck or have begun to put down roots, I pray that I may want only what
God wants for me.

Jesus wants us to know the scale of the task ahead of us; when it seems too
much for us, what are we to do? To whom can we turn for help? I ask God to
keep me in mind of my own need, that I may have the humility and trust
always to seek help.

The Gospel is much more than an ethical message about a particular,

Christian, way of life. It is about Jesus, his own person and the Kingdom he
came to proclaim. Here he shows how radical are his demands on those who
choose to follow him: even when we remove the dramatic form of the words
he uses, we are reminded of the first commandment, of loving God before all
else. I ask for a heart of a real disciple of Jesus, loving him above all else.

Discernment is a word we are hearing more than ever before, and we can
run the risk of getting used to it and lose its impact. Here Jesus is asking us
to be wise and discerning in our choices - enthusiasm is not enough for it can
easily fizzle away. Following Jesus is a demanding way of life, so we should
think well before embarking on this road; otherwise we might face
disillusionment. The key is freedom, interior freedom that understands that
material possessions can be real obstacles on our way to follow Jesus. I ask
for the grace of a discerning heart.

Luke 15:1-10

Today Jesus is surrounded by sinners and tax collectors.  They had gathered
around Jesus to listen to him preach.  There were many Pharisees and
scribes also in the crowd.  After a time, they began to complain.  They said:
“This man welcomes sinners.  Not only does Jesus welcome sinners, he also
eats with them.”  Naturally, Jesus clearly heard their comments (as the
Pharisees had intended).
 
Jesus then addressed a parable to them:  “If a shepherd has 100 sheep and
one of the sheep wanders off and gets lost, would the shepherd not leave the
99 sheep to go and find the lost sheep?”  Jesus then continues:  “And when
the shepherd finds the lost sheep, will he not put the lost sheep on his
shoulders and lovingly carry it back home, and share this good news with his
family and friends?” 
 
Jesus changes course and uses another example: “What woman having ten
coins and then losing one of the coins, would not light a lamp and search her
home looking for the precious coin?  And when the woman finds the coin, will
she not call her relatives and neighbors and say: ‘Come and rejoice with me! 
I have found the precious coin that I had lost!’”  Jesus then says to his
listeners: “In the same way, there will be great rejoicing among the angels of
God over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 16:1-13

“If you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to
you the true riches?”

Jesus tells a parable about a dishonest manager who is caught out

misappropriating his master’s money. When confronted and required to give
an account of himself, he makes his own provision. He calls in the master’s
debtors and gets them to mark down the amount they owe.
The manager uses his position to gain favour with other potential employers.
Jesus says that we are to act shrewdly for the kingdom, using all our physical
resources to the purposes of the kingdom.
We need to be faithful with the little we have in order to be trusted with
more.

This passage trips up many christians because Jesus seems to be

commending fraud and dishonesty. Jesus is pointing out that the people of
the world use their cunning and creativity to advance their own interests.
How much more should the children of God use their possessions to advance
the kingdom.

People who do not know God- and many who do- allow money to become a
false god which they look to for security or identity or as a goal in itself.
We have a choice between acquiring money for its own sake or serving God’s
kingdom. If we are to live for the kingdom, even our possessions must be
surrendered to God’s purposes.

Luke 16:19-31

We all remember the Golden Rule from our kindergarten days: Do unto
others as you would have them do unto you. Generally we all learned this in
response to demonstrating a selfish impulse. We took someone else’s toy, or
made fun of them in front of others, without a shred of empathy as to how it
would make them feel. At four and five years of age, those empathy skills
are still in their nascent stages, and we are the center of our own universes.
Our parents, family leaders, and teachers had to constantly work on our
predilection for self-centeredness so that we could understand how our
actions impacted others, and more importantly, to care about it. But that
core, that spark, resided in us; they only needed to instill the discipline that
is needed to exercise it.