Bangalore: Five Century-Old Picture of Mother Mary is Object of Veneration
 
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
 
Bangalore, Jan 16: A five-century-old picture, which is a copy of the icon of St Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, brought from Crete in Rome towards the close of the 15th Century, is the object of veneration at the Holy Ghost Church in Richards Town in Bangalore over the years.

The Holy Ghost Church, which is celebrating its diamond jubilee like the Archdiocese of Bangalore this year, is celebrating the feast of Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Mother of Pepetual Help on January 27.

Archbishop of Bangalore Most Rev Dr Bernard Moras will be hoisting the traditional flag to mark the commencement of the annual feast celebrations on January 17 at 5.30 pm and the grand annual feast will be held on Sunday, January 27.

Though the church is dedicated to the Holy Spirit, it is widely popular among Catholics and non-Catholics in Bangalore, as the ''Sahaya Matha Koil” or the Church of Our Mother of Perpetual Help on account of the beautiful Shrine devoted to Mother Mary with the icon as the centre of attraction and devotion, Fr Jacob Britto, the Parish Priest, explained.

Weekly devotions and the grand annual feast have become a traditional feature every year, Fr Britto said, while giving details of the history of the copy of the icon of Eastern origin of Mother Mary.

''After its arrival in Rome towards the close the 15th century, extraordinary events took place,” Fr Britto said, and mentioned that: ''One such event was the apparition of Our Lady to a little girl to whom she confided her desire that this picture be exposed for veneration between the Basilicas of St Mary Major and St John Lateran. Between these two basilicas stood the Church of St Matthew served by the Augustinian Fathers and in this Church the picture was installed and  regular veneration and devotion was started.”

In 1798 the Church of St Matthew was destroyed by the French army and the Augustinian Fathers transferred the picture to a neighbouring monastery where it remained hidden until the year 1866. Meanwhile a new church was built by the Redemptorists almost on the site of the church of St Matthew.

Through God’s providence the miraculous picture was discovered and in the year 1966, Fr Britto said pointing out that Pope Pius IX, having learned the history of the picture, commanded that it should be restored to its former place of honour and entrusted the guardianship of the picture to the Redemptorists. On that occasion, the Pope commissioned the Redemptorists to “make her known throughout the world,” a commission they have been proud to carry out.

When the Irish Redemptorists arrived in Bangalore in 1940, they began weekly devotions to Our Mother of Perpetual Help in their little domestic chapel on 8, John Armstrong Road. It immediately became very popular. It was but natural that when Holy Ghost Church was consecrated in 1953, it contained a beautiful shrine in which the picture was placed. A few years later through the generosity of the devotees of Our Mother of Perpetual Help golden crowns were placed on the heads of Jesus and Mary, explains Fr Britto.

The perpetual novena is conducted weekly at this shrine in Kannada, Tamil and English. It is termed ‘perpetual novena’ because it is held once every week throughout the year and also because people desiring to join in the Novena may begin at any week they choose.

The annual feast celebrated on the last Sunday in January draws large crowds from all over the city and the neigbouring districts. Like the child Jesus in the picture they seek refuge in her arms in times of need and she does not fail them. The thousands of thanksgiving letters read out over the years during the weekly novena are testimony to the fact that she is indeed their Mother of Perpetual Help, said Fr Britto.

Further information on the church and its institutions can be accessed at www.holyghostparish.org.