Mary, Help of Christians () is a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

title of the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

, based on a

devotion Devotion or Devotions may refer to: Religion * Anglican devotions, private prayers and practices used by Anglican Christians * Buddhist devotion, commitment to religious observance * Catholic devotions, customs, rituals, and practices of worship ...

now associated with a feast day of the

General Roman Calendar The General Roman Calendar (GRC) is the liturgy, liturgical calendar that indicates the dates of celebrations of saints and Sacred mysteries, mysteries of the Lord (Jesus Christ) in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, wherever this liturgic ...

on 24 May.

John Chrysostom John Chrysostom (; ; – 14 September 407) was an important Church Father who served as archbishop of Constantinople. He is known for his preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and p ...

was the first to describe this title, in 345 AD.

Don Bosco John Melchior Bosco, SDB (; ; 16 August 181531 January 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco or Dom Bosco ( IPA: ), was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and writer. While working in Turin, where the population suffered many of the ill eff ...

also propagated the devotion. It is associated with the defense of

Christian Europe The terms Christendom or Christian world commonly refer to the global Christian community, Christian states, Christian-majority countries or countries in which Christianity is dominant or prevails.SeMerriam-Webster.com : dictionary, "Christen ...

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

and the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

from non-Christians during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. As the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

intended to invade Christian Europe in 1571,

Pope Pius V Pope Pius V, OP (; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (and from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 January 1566 to his death, in May 1572. He was an ...

called on Christian armies for help and their victory was consequently attributed to the intercession of Mary under this devotional title.

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

granted a decree of

canonical coronation A canonical coronation () is a pious institutional act of the pope, duly expressed in a formal decree of a papal bull, in which the pope bestows the pontifical right to impose an ornamental crown, a diadem or an aureola, aureole to an image of ...

for a

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

image of the devotion in 1903. The coronation was executed by Cardinal

Agostino Richelmy Agostino Richelmy (29 November 1850 – 10 August 1923) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Turin from 1897 until his death, and was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 1899. Biography Early l ...

and the image is now permanently enshrined at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians.

History

Patristic origins

There are two inscriptions from the first centuries of Christianity in

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

related to Mary: (Teotokos, Theotokos, Mother of God) and (Boetheia, the Helper). The

Fathers of the Church The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical per ...

referred to Mary as "βοηθεια". John Chrysostom used the title in a homily of 345,

Proclus Proclus Lycius (; 8 February 412 – 17 April 485), called Proclus the Successor (, ''Próklos ho Diádokhos''), was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major classical philosophers of late antiquity. He set forth one of th ...

in 476 and Sebas of

Caesarea Caesarea, a city name derived from the Roman title " Caesar", was the name of numerous cities and locations in the Roman Empire: Places In the Levant * Caesarea Maritima, also known as "Caesarea Palaestinae", an ancient Roman city near the modern ...

in 532. After the Patristic period (5th century), other persons used it like Romanos the Melodist in 518, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Sophronius in 560,

John of Damascus John of Damascus or John Damascene, born Yūḥana ibn Manṣūr ibn Sarjūn, was an Arab Christian monk, priest, hymnographer, and apologist. He was born and raised in Damascus or AD 676; the precise date and place of his death is not know ...

in 749 and

Germanus I of Constantinople Germanus I of Constantinople (, Greek: Γερμανός; 634 – 742) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 715 to 730. He is regarded as a saint by both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, with a feast day of 12 May. He had bee ...

in 733. In the view of Johann G. Roten, the invocation of Mary as Help of Christians is part of the oldest prayer addressed directly to Mary, the ''

Sub tuum praesidium ''Sub tuum præsidium'' (; ) is an ancient Christianity, Christian hymn and prayer dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The hymn enumerates her special election by God the Father and her motherhood of God the Son. It is one of the oldest known ...

'', which was found on a papyrus dating, at the latest, from the end of the 3rd century. ''Praesidium'' is translated as "an assistance given in time of war by fresh troops in a strong manner."Rotan SM, Johann G., "Help of Christians", University of Dayton

The Litany of Loreto

In 1576, the

Archpriest The ecclesiastical title of archpriest or archpresbyter belongs to certain priests with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches and may be somewhat analogo ...

of Loreto,

Bernardino Cirillo Bernardino Cirillo Franco (May 20, 1500 – June 19, 1575), also called Bernardino Cirillo and Cyrilo Franco, was a Roman Catholic archpriest of Loreto, Italy. He was born in the city of L'Aquila, Italy on May 20, 1500. His father was Pietro Sant ...

published at

Macerata Macerata () is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy, the county seat of the province of Macerata in the Marche region. It has a population of about 41,564. History The historical city centre is on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza (ri ...

two

litanies Litany, in Christian worship and some forms of Jewish worship, is a form of prayer used in services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes through Latin ''wikt:litania, litania'' from Ancient Greek wikt:λιτα ...

of the Blessed Virgin, which he contended, were used at Loreto. One is in a form entirely different from the present text, while another form, "''Aliæ Litaniæ Beatæ Maria Virginis''", is identical to the litany approved by

Pope Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII (; ; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 January 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born in Fano, Papal States to a prominen ...

in 1601 and now used throughout the Church. This second form contains the invocation ''Auxilium Christianorum'' warriors returning from the

Battle of Lepanto The Battle of Lepanto was a naval warfare, naval engagement that took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League (1571), Holy League, a coalition of Catholic states arranged by Pope Pius V, inflicted a major defeat on the fleet of t ...

(7 October 1571) visited the Loreto, and saluted the Holy Virgin there for the first time with this title. It is more probable, however, that it is a variation of the older invocation ''Advocata Christianorum'', found in a litany of 1524.Holweck, Frederick. "Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 9 Mar. 2013
/ref> The first surviving translation of this litany, yet still incomplete, in the Spanish language was recorded in 1621 under the title "''La Letania Sagrada de la Bienaventurada Virgen Maria"'' in

Valladolid, Spain Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...

. The Italian religious author Orazio Torsellino (1597) and the

Roman Breviary The Roman Breviary (Ecclesiastical Latin, Latin: ''Breviarium Romanum'') is a breviary of the Roman Rite in the Catholic Church. A liturgical book, it contains public or canonical Catholic prayer, prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notat ...

(May 24, Appendix) claim that

inserted the invocation in the Litany of Loreto after the Battle of Lepanto. The form of the litany in which it is first found, however, was unknown at

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

at the time of Pope Pius V.

Marian Feast

The feast of ''Our Lady, Help of Christians'', was instituted by

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII (; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He ruled the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again ...

. By order of

Napoleon I of France Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

, Pope Pius VII was arrested on 5 June 1808, and detained a prisoner first at Grenoble, and then at

Fontainebleau Fontainebleau ( , , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the Kilometre zero#France, centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a Subprefectures in Franc ...

. In January 1814, after the

battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, was fought from 16 to 19 October 1813 at Leipzig, Saxony. The Coalition armies of Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia, led by Tsar Alexander I, Karl von Schwarzenberg, and G ...

, he was brought back to Savona and set free on 17 March, on the eve of the feast of Our Lady of Mercy, the Patroness of Savona. The journey to Rome was a veritable triumphal march. The Pope, attributing the victory of the church after so much agony and distress to the Blessed Virgin, visited many of her sanctuaries on the way and crowned her images (e.g., the "Madonna del Monte" at

Cesena Cesena (; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy; and - with Forlì - is the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. Served by Autostrada A14 (Italy), Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine M ...

, "della Misericordia" at Treja, "della Colonne" and "della Tempestà" at

Tolentino Tolentino ( Maceratese: ''Tulindì'') is a town and ''comune'' of about 19,000 inhabitants, in the province of Macerata in the Marche region of central Italy. It is located in the middle of the valley of the Chienti. History Signs of the firs ...

). The people crowded the streets to catch a glimpse of the Pope who had withstood the threats of Napoleon. He entered Rome on 24 May 1814, and was enthusiastically welcomed. To commemorate his own sufferings and those of the church during his exile Pope Pius VII extended the feast of the Seven Dolours of Mary to the Catholic Church on 18 September 1814. When Napoleon left Elba and returned to Paris, Murat was about to march through the Papal States from Naples; Pius VII fled to Savona 22 March 1815. After the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

and the

battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...

, the Pope returned to Rome on 7 July 1815. To give thanks to God and Our Lady, on 15 September 1815 he declared 24 May, the anniversary of his first return, to be henceforth the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians. The 1913 Catholic Encyclopaedia article commented that "it has spread nearly over the entire Latin Church, but is not contained in the universal calendar." Santuario di Maria Ausiliatrice Torino

The Marian feast has been celebrated by the Order of

Servites The Servite Order, officially known as the Order of Servants of Mary (; abbreviation: OSM), is one of the five original mendicant orders in the Roman Catholic Church. It includes several branches of friars (priests and brothers), contemplative nun ...

since the 17th century. The veneration to Mary became popular under this title in Rome especially, where the feast was especially promoted by

John Bosco John Melchior Bosco, Salesians of Don Bosco, SDB (; ; 16 August 181531 January 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco or Dom Bosco (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ), was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and writer. While working in Tu ...

and

Vincent Pallotti Vincent Pallotti, SAC (21 April 1795 – 22 January 1850) was an Catholic Church in Italy, Italian Catholic cleric and the founder of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, later known as the Pious Society of Missions (the Pallottines). The ori ...

. Bosco was an ardent promoter of devotion to Mary, Help of Christians. He built a huge basilica in her honour in 1868 and founded a religious congregation for women under the title of "The Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians". Interpreting the painting he had commissioned for the basilica, Bosco referred to it as depicting Mary Mother of the Church. This suggests a connection to the way in which popes have addressed Mary as both Mother and Help of the Church. Bosco chose this devotion because of its affinity to his devotion to the church, the bearer of Christ. Vatican II, in the Constitution on the Church (sections 61, 62), cites this title of Mary, placing it in the context of Mary's maternal role.

In an utterly singular way she co-operated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the Saviour's work of restoring supernatural life to souls. For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace...By her maternal charity, Mary cares for the brethren of her Son who still wander through this world in the midst of dangers and difficulties until they are led to the happiness of their heavenly home.Daniel, Michael. "Our Lady Help of Christians"
/ref>

Observance

The church has traditionally focused on two aspects of Our Lady's help on this feast day. Firstly, the church focuses in this feast on the role of Our Lady's intercession in the fight against sin in the life of a believer. Secondly, the church focuses on Our Lady as one who assists Christians as a community, through her intercession, in fighting against anti-Christian forces. Michael Daniel observes that, while this approach may be regarded as outdated, in light of Vatican II, where the world and non-Christians elements therein were seen in a positive rather than a hostile or threatening light, it would seem that it would be naïve on the part of Christians to regard all movements and all social trends as either good or harmless. The

dioceses In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

adopted it on 12 February 1816. The hymns of the Office were composed by Brandimarte. It became the patronal feast of

Australasia Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...

, a double of the first class with an octave. After the reforms of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...

, it was designated a

solemnity In the liturgical calendar of the Roman Rite, a solemnity is a feast day of the highest rank celebrating a mystery of faith such as the Trinity, an event in the life of Jesus, his mother Mary, his legal father Joseph, or another important ...

to be kept on the first available Sunday on or after 24 May. The Fathers of the Foreign Missions of Paris, in accordance with a vow (1891), celebrated this feast with great splendor in their churches. Brezjanska Marija

It has attained special renown since John Bosco, founder of the Salesian Congregation, dedicated his foundation to ''Our Lady, Help of Christians'', the mother church of his congregation at

on 9 June 1868. The Salesians have carried the devotion to their numerous establishments. It was established due to the great appreciation of Don Bosco for this Marian title and the development of the Salesian works in many countries since the second half of the 19th century. The Salesian National Shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians is located in Stony Point, New York. There is also the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Parañaque City, Philippines, which is also in the care of the Salesians of Don Bosco. In memory of the liberation of

from the captivation and imprisonment of Lord

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

, which the Pope credited to be by supernatural assistance, the following congregations honored the Blessed Virgin Mary under this title: * The Diocese of Australia, by institution of an

Octave In music, an octave (: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is an interval between two notes, one having twice the frequency of vibration of the other. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referr ...

(1888) * The Order of

Barnabites The Barnabites (), officially named as the Clerics Regular of Saint Paul (), are a religious order of clerics regular founded in 1530 in the Catholic Church. They are associated with the Angelic Sisters of Saint Paul and the members of the Ba ...

(1908) * The Society of the Divine Savior (1909) * The Society of

Saint Francis de Sales Francis de Sales, C.O., O.M. (; ; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Savoyard Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Geneva and is a saint of the Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to the rel ...

(1910) * In the Diocese of La Serena, Chile (1914) * In the Diocese of Skopje, North Macedonia (1914) The Church of Notre Dame du Bon Secours in Blosseville,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, was also inaugurated under this Marian title "Help of Christians", dating back to the original church structure in the 13th century. It was finalized in 1840 and

Pope Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (; ; born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, ; 21 November 1854 – 22 January 1922) was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His pontificate was largely overshadowed by World War I a ...

ultimately granted a pontifical decree that raised the shrine to the status of minor basilica on 12 February 1919. The Abbey of Mary Help of Christians, better known as Belmont Abbey, is a small American monastery of Benedictine monks in the town of Belmont, Gaston County, North Carolina, outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. The minor basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A chapel dedicated to this namesake Marian title exists at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., US. Under this title, the Virgin Mary is venerated by the Chinese Catholics, particularly at the Shrine of our Lady of Sheshan, the only minor papal basilica in mainland China. In May 2007,

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

designated 24 May her feast for the Catholics in China, who face persecution and restriction from the

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

. Although it is commonly associated with the Catholic Church, the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

has also known the devotion since 1030 in

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, when the country was defended from a barbarian invasion.

German title

In the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

and among German-speaking Catholics, there was particular devotion to Maria, Hilfe der Christen, as shown by the

Church of Mariahilf The Church of Mariahilf is a Baroque parish church and the church of the Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel (''Congregatio Sancti Michaëlis Archangeli'') in Vienna. It is located in Vienna's 6th district (Mariahilf). The parish chu ...

and other shrines, including some in the U.S.

Pontifical approbations

— exhorted intercessory prayers to Mary under this devotional title in 7 October 1571 during the invasion of the

, by which he made an addendum to the

Litany of Loreto The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Marian litany originally approved in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V. It is also known as the Litany of Loreto (Latin: ''Litaniae lauretanae''), after its first-known place of origin, the Shrine of Our Lady of ...

with this Marian title. Originally a Marian feast instituted under the title of "Our Lady of Victory", it was later changed to the "Feast of the Holy Rosary" by his successor

Pope Gregory XIII Pope Gregory XIII (, , born Ugo Boncompagni; 7 January 1502 – 10 April 1585) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 May 1572 to his death in April 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake ...

for the month of "October" in 1573 which survives until this day. *

— honored the Virgin Mary under this title upon his release from imprisonment by Lord

on 24 May 1814, by which he formally instituted the feast of the Virgin Mary under this specific title and survives until present time. *

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

— issued the following decrees: ** Granted a pontifical decree to the

Sacred Congregation of Rites The Sacred Congregation of Rites was a Congregation (Roman Curia), congregation of the Roman Curia, erected on 22 January 1588 by Pope Sixtus V by ''Immensa Aeterni Dei''; it was divided into two separate congregations by Pope Paul VI on 8 May 196 ...

of this Marian title as the official patroness of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

in 1852. Cardinal Francis Moran expanded this with the institution of an

feast for the Diocese of Sydney in 1888. ** Granted a decree of pontifical coronation to a Marian image of ''Notre Dame du Bon Secours, Marie Auxiliatrice'' on 15 July 1870, now enshrined at the

Basilique Notre-Dame de Bonsecours The Basilique Notre Dame du Bon Secours, Marie Auxiliatrice (English language, English: The Basilica of Our Lady of Refuge of Mary, the Help of Christians) is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Bonsecours near Rouen, Seine—Maritime, France. It i ...

Rouen, France Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of region of Normandy and the department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, the populati ...

. *

— granted a pontifical decree of canonical coronation to the famed Turin image on 13 February 1903 through his papal legate, Cardinal

, who crowned it on 17 May 1903. The image is now permanently enshrined within the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians in Turin, Italy. *

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...

— granted a decree of pontifical coronation for the venerated Marian painting at the Basilica in

Brezje, Radovljica Brezje (; ) is a settlement in the Municipality of Radovljica in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. The village is located southwest of Radovljica on the road to Kranj. Name Brezje was attested in written sources as ''Fresiach'' in 1350, ''Vre ...

, Slovenia, on 24 June 1907 and was crowned on 1 September of the same year. *

— redeclared this patronage for

with a congratulatory decree titled "''In Cœtu Sodalium''" granted to the Master General of the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...

Ludwig Maria von Theissling under the honorific title of "Old Virgin / Ancient Virgin" on 29 October 1916. *

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

— issued the following decrees: **Formally elevated the

Mary Help of Christians Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religion * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Bless ...

shrine in

Shanghai, China Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

to the status of

Minor Basilica Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...

(written on 24 July 1942) and officially signed and notarized on 12 September 1942 via his pontifical decree ''Compertum Habemus''. **Granted a Pontifical decree ''Sacras Inter Ædes'' on 12 September 1950 raising the shrine of the namesake image to the status of

in Niteroi, Brazil, notarized by the Regent of Apostolic Briefs, Monsignor Gildo Brugnola. *

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...

— issued a pontifical decree ''"Auxiliatricem Virginem"'' granting the namesake Marian title as patroness of Viedma, Argentina signed and notarized by Cardinal

Domenico Tardini Domenico Tardini (29 February 1888 – 30 July 1961) was a longtime aide to Pope Pius XII in the Secretariat of State. Pope John XXIII named him Cardinal Secretary of State and, in this position the most prominent member of the Roman Curia in ...

on 19 April 1960. *

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

— granted the following pontifical decrees: ** Raised the sanctuary of Mary Help of Christians to the status of

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

, via formal decree titled ''Satis Quidem Constat'' on 5 October 1988. ** Decree of canonical coronation titled ''In Ecclesia Sanctuario'' for a namesake image in

Twardogóra Twardogóra (pronounced , ) is a historic town in Oleśnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Twardogóra. It lies approximately north of Oleśnica, and ...

, Poland, on 5 May 1994 and was crowned on 24 September 1995. *

— honored Mary under this title via the following pontifical decrees: ** Granted a decree of pontifical coronation for a namesake image in Cordoba, Spain signed on 2 April 2008, later crowned on 10 May 2009. ** Raised the sanctuary with the namesake Marian title to the status of

Seville, Spain Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Seville ...

signed on 26 October 2008. ** During his

Regina Caeli "Regina caeli" (; Queen of Heaven) is a musical antiphon addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary that is used in the liturgy of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church during the Easter season, from Easter Sunday until Pentecost. During this seaso ...

papal address invoked this Marian patronage, under the venerated title of Our Mother of Sheshan, calling for Chinese Catholics to renew their fidelity to the

pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

as the sole successor of

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

in 24 May 2009. *

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

— granted two decrees of

of namesake images for the Philippine islands. **The first image is enshrined in the "Catholic Theological Seminary" in

San Fabian, Pangasinan San Fabian, officially the Municipality of San Fabian (; ; ; ), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 87,428 peo ...

on 23 March 2018. The image was crowned on 22 August 2018. This image was a gift to the

Philippine Islands The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

by the apostolic delegate, Guglielmo Piani. **The second image granted another decree on 16 November 2021 was for the namesake image in

Parañaque City Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque (, ), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 689,992 people. It is bordered to the north by Pasay, to th ...

. The image was officially crowned on 24 May 2022 and dates back to 1922 before the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Artistic representations

File:Gnadenbild Mariahilf, Innsbruck.jpg, ''Mariahilf.''

Lucas Cranach the Elder Lucas Cranach the Elder ( ; – 16 October 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is known for his portraits, both of German ...

, c. 1520, Cathedral of St. Jakob in

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

File:Image of Our Lady of Sheshan Help of Christians Atop the Basilica.jpg .webp, Image of Our Lady of Sheshan, Help of Christians as it appears atop the exterior cupola of the

Sheshan Basilica The Basilica of Holy Mary, the Help of Christians (Latin: ''Basilicæ de Nostra Domina Mariæ Auxiliatricis Christianorum'') also known as the ''National Shrine of Our Mother of Sheshan'' () is a Roman Catholic Marian shrine in Shanghai, China. I ...

. This rendition above is created by Holy Wisdom Catholic Decoration and Art Design Studio (圣智天主教装饰与艺术品工作室) in Shanghai. File:Shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians, Miguel Hidalgo, Federal District, Mexico 02.jpg, Statue at the shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians, in Miguel Hidalgo of Federal District, Mexico File:Mariahilferkirche Vienna 0051.JPG, Altar at Mariahilf church

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

File:Matzleinsdorfer Pfarrkirche 23.JPG, 18th-century painting at Matzleinsdorf church,

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

References

{{Madonna styles Catholic holy days Catholic Mariology Marian devotions Catholic spirituality Titles of Mary, mother of Jesus Marian feast days