marian
anniversaries may
May 28
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA
In 1866, Pope Pius IX entrusted the rediscovered icon of Our Lady of
Perpetual Help to the Redemptorist Order in Rome, with the mandate to
"make her known." Incorporating prayers to Our Lady of Perpetual
Help in their preaching missions around the world, the Redemptorists began
fulfilling this mandate at once. On May 28, 1871, they solemnly enthroned
a copy of her icon above the main altar of their church in the Boston
suburb of Roxbury, Massachusetts. In 1878, the image moved to a new church
dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Like the original icon in Rome,
it soon became a focus of devotion linked to miracles and answered
prayers. As in Rome, the mission fathers held weekly Novena services where
people would come to petition Our Lady for help with special needs.
Although the novena was originally a nine-day prayer period corresponding
to the nine days between Ascension and Pentecost, it now became a
"perpetual" devotion, which individuals could attend for nine
weeks or as desired. The Redemptorists also distributed prayer cards
encouraging personal nine-day novenas to Our Lady. In 1883, not long after
being designated a parish church, the shrine became famous when a young
woman's spectacular recovery from crippling bone disease followed a series
of novenas there. In 1954, Pius XII gave the Mission Church of Boston the
status of Minor Basilica. The Redemptorists still hold daily Masses there,
with three Novena services on Wednesdays.
Also commemorated this date:
| Notre-Dame des Ardents, Arras, Hauts-de-France, France. Apparition and
healings, 1105. |
| Notre Dame de la Confiance, Saint Paul d'Eyjeaux, Haute-Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine,
France. Oratory blessed, 1950. Feast Sunday near September 8. |
| Notre-Dame-de-Celles, Celles, Ariège, Occitanie, France.
Apparition, 1686. Pilgrimage 3rd Sunday in July. |
| Madonna dell'Oro di Ferruta, Borgosesia, Vercelli, Piedmont, Italy (Golden
Madonna). First stone of church placed, 1685. |
| Madonna del Canale, Massa Marittima, Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy, Prata
village. Festa every
three years: 2024, 2027, 2030; mass, procession, concert, fireworks. |
| Santa Maria Liberatrice, Viterbo, Viterbo, Latium, Italy. The Madonna appeared in the sky, calming a
storm, May 28, 1380. Festa on Pentecost. |
| Santa Maria della Luce, Rome, Italy (St. Mary of the Light). Suicidal man changed his mind after
seeing St. Mary's luminous image, 1730. |
| Nostra Signora di Gonare, Sarule, Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy. White marble
statue, c1600, crowned, 1972. Festa September 8. |
| Vrouweputje, Goes, Zeeland, Netherlands, near 's-Heer Arendskerke village
(Lady Well). Abandoned, rediscovered, and renovated shrine reopened as
meditation center, 2007. Procession around August 15. |
| Matka
Boża Pocieszenia, Wrocław, Lower Silesia, Poland (Mother of God of Consolation). Painting crowned, 1905. |
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