Data on devotion to María Auxiliadora

Within the framework of the party in honor of María Auxiliadora, Marian invocation formerly known as “Maria, help of Christians” and is held every May 24, we share 7 data on this important devotion of great pontiffs.

1. It was called “Auxiliadora” by the first Christians

The first Christians in Greece, Egypt, Antioch, Ephesus, Alexandria and Athens used to invoke the Blessed Virgin with the name of “Auxiliadora”, which in Greek is “Biochela“And it means” the one that brings aid coming from heaven. “

The first father of the church that is news that called the Virgin Mary with this title was San Juan Crisóstomo in 345, in Constantinople.

The saint said: “You, Mary, you are a powerful help of God.” They also recognized it with this name Proclo in 476 and Sebas of Caesarea in 532.

2. He interceded in the battles of Lepanto and Vienna

In 1572, Pope St. Pius V, after the victory of the Christian army over the Muslim Turks in the Battle of Lepanto, ordered the celebration of the feast of the Holy Rosary on October 7, and that in the litanies “Mary, help of Christians” was invoked.

The previous year Our Lady had prodigiously fought all Christianity of being destroyed by a Mohammedan army of 282 ships and 88,000 soldiers.

In 1683 the Turks attacked Vienna during the Pontificate of Innocent XI. Under the command of the King of Poland, Juan Sobieski, beat the Turkish army on the help of Maria Auxiliadora, even with lower military forces.

Soon they founded the Association of María Auxiliadora, which exists today in more than 60 countries.

3. His party was born in the time of the French Revolution

The history of the Fiesta de María Auxiliadora dates back to the years following the French Revolution, in which a hard blow to the Church had taken.

Pope Pío VII was arrested in the Palace of Fontainebleau by the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and dedicated his prayers to Mary Help of Christians to protect the Church.

The pontiff’s pleas were heard, and in 1814 Napoleon signed his abdication. The following year, when the Church had recovered its position and spiritual power, the Pope instituted the feast of Mary Help of May on May 24 to perpetuate the memory of his return to Rome after captivity.

4. His party was held in Ukraine since the eleventh century

The name of “Auxiliadora” was given to the Virgin Mary in Ukraine since 1030 for having released that region of the invasion of pagan tribes. Since then, in that country the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of Mary Help of ‘October 1.

5. He appeared to Don Bosco

San Juan Bosco was a great propagator of love to this Marian invocation, because the same Virgin appeared in dreams to point out the place in Turin (Italy) where a temple should be built in his honor. He also asked to be honored under the title of “Auxiliadora”.

In 1863 San Juan Bosco began the construction of the Church with a few cents, but with the intercession of Mary Most Holy, on June 9, 1868, only 5 years later, the consecration of the temple took place.

The saint used to say: “Every brick of this temple corresponds to a miracle of the Blessed Virgin.” From that sanctuary, devotion to Mary began to spread around the world under the title of auxiliary of Christians.

6. The last potatoes had special devotion

Pope San Juan XXIII cultivated a special devotion to the auxiliary, whose image, taken from a number of the Salesian bulletin, hung on the wall near his bed.

On May 28, 1963, already seriously ill, blessed with deep emotion the two crowns destined to the Virgin’s painting in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Rome.

For its part, San Juan Pablo II used to go and pray in the Chapel of María Auxiliadora of the Church of San Estanislao de Kostka (Krakow) between 1938 and 1944.

In this church, on November 3, 1946 he celebrated one of his first masses as a priest.

Pope Francis, during his apostolic visit to Turin in 2015 For the 200 years of birth San Juan BoscoHe said that during his childhood he was educated in a Salesian school, where his love for María Auxiliadora was sowed.

“I learned to love the Virgin. The Salesians formed me in beauty, at work, and this I think it is a charisma, they formed me in affectivity and this was a characteristic of Don Bosco,” he said.

7. Many are accepted under their patronage

San Juan XIII la proclamó patron del Council 2 con los títulos the help of the Christian help of the bishops.

He is patron of the entire Salesian family. Salesians point out in their Constitutions that “Don Bosco trusted our society, in a special way, to Maria – whom he declared Patron Main.”

María Auxiliadora is also a patron saint of China and this May, 2024, 100 years of their consecration are turned. It is also from Australia and agriculture in Argentina.