From the Chaplain

Thursday 24 May was a very significant day in the life of the Church in Australia. On this day, and on this date every year, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady Help of Christians, Patroness of Australia.

We know Mary under a number of titles, such as Our Lady of Loreto, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Victories and many others. The title ‘Our Lady the Helper’ is very ancient, being first recorded by the great Eastern Father and Doctor, St John Chrysostom (347 – 407), more than 1,500 years ago.

It received a more ‘military’ sense in the sixteenth century when Mary was called upon for protection as ‘Helper of Christians’ while Europe was under military threat. In particular, the great Dominican Pope, Pius V, inserted an invocation to Mary under this title in the Litany of Loreto after the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.

It came back into prominence in the early nineteenth century soon after Napoleon Bonaparte, in 1798, arrested Pope Pius VI. Pius VI had condemned the French Revolution and refused to renounce his temporal power. Napoleon defeated the papal armies and placed Pius VI in prison. He died there about a year later. After about a year, he was succeeded by Pope Pius VII.

In 1809, Pius VII was also arrested and imprisoned for five years. During his imprisonment, he consistently called upon Our Lady for her intercession and help. After the French army was defeated in January 1814, he was freed and returned to Rome, arriving on 24 May. In gratitude for Mary’s intercession he instituted the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians in 1816 to take place each year on the anniversary of his return to Rome, 24 May.

In the early years of Catholicism in Australia, devotion to Mary was very strong, partly due to pious Marian devotions such as the Rosary and litanies, which the faithful undertook due to the lack of priests in the territory. As a result, Mary under the title of Our Lady Help of Christians became very well known. A good indication of this is that the Cathedral of Sydney, known to most as St Mary’s Cathedral, has the official title ‘Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians’. Under this title Mary is also the patroness of Australia, a role which was initiated in 1844.

We can call upon Mary under this title to ask for her assistance today, especially considering that she is our very own national patroness. Many Christians are threatened today with violence and occupation. We can pray to Mary to help these Christians in their time of need. Many Christian values are under threat also in our country and other countries. We can pray to Mary to help us remain true to our Christian values in the face of opposition and perhaps even persecution. Most importantly, Mary helps us in the fight against evil and the evil one, which is the most serious battle. Let us call upon her to help us overcome sin in our lives, and become true disciples of her Son Jesus, of which she is the greatest model.

Fr Matthew Boland OP

CHAPLAIN