During my adolescent and teenage years I attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church and admired the beautiful image of the Blessed Mother and Jesus behind the altar in our church. It seemed to cover almost the entire wall behind the altar. I never understood the meaning and symbolism behind it, but I often picture it in my mind while praying the Hail Mary and Rosary. It turns out that the image was a very large replica of the original artwork that measured only 54 x 41.5 centimeters. It was painted on wood, and originated around the 13th century (Catholic Straight Answers; What is the story…). In the image Mary comforts Jesus as he turns in fear from the Archangels Michael (left) and Gabriel (right) who hold the instruments of his future Passion (Basilica of the National Shrine).
The image itself can be traced back to St. Luke, author of one of the synoptic Gospels. In addition to being a physician, St. Luke was also an artist. It is believed that he painted several images of Mary including the original Hodegetria image which is the basis for the Our Lady of Perpetual Help image. Many artists have been inspired by St. Luke’s work (St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church). Popular legend believes that St. Luke’s original image was painted on the meal table of the Holy Family in Nazareth (Inside The Vatican Pilgrimages).
It is believed that a Marian apparition brought the Our Lady of Perpetual Help icon to the Church of St. Matthew in Rome in the late 15th century where it remained until Napoleon burned the church in 1812. In 1866 Pope Pius IX entrusted the image to the Redemptorist priests, who built the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome, where the original artwork is still housed (Catholic Straight Answers; What is the story…). June 27th is the feast day of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, who is known for miracles, healings, and answers to prayers (Inside The Vatican Pilgrimages; Basilica of the National Shrine). Pope St. John Paul II began his devotion to the Blessed Mother by praying before the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help as a child. He attributed her protection and care to saving his life during an assassination attempt in 1981 (Catholic Straight Answers; What was the nature…).
Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help:
O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke your most powerful name, which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying.
O Purest Mary, O Sweetest Mary, let thy name henceforth be ever on my lips.
Delay not, O Blessed Lady, to help me whenever I call on you, for, in all my needs, in all my temptations I shall never cease to call on you, ever repeating thy sacred name, Mary, Mary.
O what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emotion fill my soul when I pronounce your sacred name, or even only think of you.
I thank God for having given you, for my good, so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name.
But I will not be content with merely pronouncing your name: let my love for you prompt me ever to hail you, Mother of Perpetual Help. Amen. (Basilica of the National Shrine).
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The Tradition of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Retrieved June 16, 2026 from: https://www.nationalshrine.org/blog/the-tradition-of-our-mother-of-perpetual-help/
Catholic Straight Answers. What is the story behind the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help? Retrieved June 16, 2026 from: https://catholicstraightanswers.com/what-is-the-story-behind-the-image-of-our-lady-of-perpetual-help/
Catholic Straight Answers. What was the nature of Pope St. John Pauls II’s devotion to Our Lady? Retrieved June 17, 2026 from: https://catholicstraightanswers.com/st-john-paul-iis-devotion-to-our-lady/
Inside The Vatican Pilgrimages. St. Matthew and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Retrieved June 17, 2026 from: https://insidethevaticanpilgrimages.com/our_lady_of_perpetual_help/
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. St. Luke the Evangelist. Retrieved June 17, 2026 from: ttps://www.ap.church/saints/st–luke-the-evangelist
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