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| Our Lady Help of Christians, St Mary's Cathedral Sydney |
I took this photo at the time the World Youth Day Cross arrived in Sydney 2007. It is the statue of Our Lady Help of Christians, at St Mary's Cathedral Sydney. She has a most beautiful face, as does the Child Jesus.
In the early days of Australia the patron selected by the people and their newly arrived pastor, Father Therry, for the Mother Church was Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, under the special invocation of Help of Christians.
The feast of Mary Help of Christians is the 24th of May.
The infant Church in Australia was largely kept alive by the recitation of the Rosary. Catholic Australia remained faithful to Mary, and was the first nation to choose her, under the title of Help of Christians, as principal Patroness.
To confirm this, Archbishop Kelly's pastoral letter of 1904 lends strong weight: "The first Catholics here had brought strong devotion to Mary, Help of Christians, who was the Patroness selected by the people and Father Therry for their mother-church, Mary Immaculate under the special invocation of Help of Christians."
Indications are that Father Therry simply watered a Marian seed already planted by church-minded lay people.
The altar at St. Mary's, with its statue of Mary Help of Christians, was erected as a memorial to Fr. Therry's name.
In this remarkable way Australia became the first nation in the world to have, Mary, Help of Christians as Patroness: the first church to celebrate May 24th on a national scale.
She is also the Patroness of the Military Ordinariate.
The following is a beautiful pray for such a day -
For full text - www.theworkofgod.orgMary Help of Christians patroness of Australia
and of the Military Ordinariate (Feast: 24th May)Almighty God, deepen in our hearts our love of Mary Help of Christians.
Through her prayers and under her protection, may the light of Christ shine over our land.
May Australia be granted harmony, justice and peace.
Grant wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens.
Bless especially the men and women of the Australian Defence Force and their families.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
I commend this prayer to the blessed Mother for a friend of mine, Anne, who is battling with cancer at the moment. May Anne and all those fighting the battle of cancer be blessed by the intercession of our patron Mary Help of Christians.
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| Sydney Opera House |
Put it on your todo list of places to visit.
