Our Lady to protect Australia from the pandemic
AUSTRALIA’S Bishops will entrust the care of the nation from the COVID-19 pandemic to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Archbishop Christopher Prowse announced today.
Special mention has been made of Australians who have lost their jobs or livelihoods, those quarantined or anxious and pastors, leaders and essential service workers.
Archbishop Prowse said the pandemic presented a “unique opportunity” for collective action by the Bishops, who have been engaged in an online Plenary meeting this week.
US and Canadian Bishops recently entrusted their nations to “Mary Mother of the Church” with similar moves in England and Wales as well as Ireland, Spain and Portugal.
Archbishop Prowse will entrust the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn to the Immaculate Heart of Mary under the title Our Lady Help of Christians at the 11am Mass at St Christopher’s Cathedral on Sunday May 24.
The following day is the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians which has been celebrated in Australia since 1844.
Australia was the first country to have Mary Help of Christians as Patroness and also the first nation to have a mother-cathedral (St Mary’s in Sydney) under the same title.
Archbishop Prowse said Australia was last entrusted to the care of Our Lady Help of Christians by Archbishop Francis Carroll at a Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral in 2001. Archbishop Carroll was President of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference at the time.
He served as Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn from 1983 to 2006.
The entrustment prayer, agreed by Australia’s Bishops this week, seeks Our Lady’s intercession for the safety of all our people especially in this time of the pandemic.
The prayer reads:
“O Immaculate Mary, Help of Christians, Queen of heaven and earth, and tender Mother of humanity, at this time when a pandemic threatens all your children, we entrust to you our nation, Australia, and all who live in this country.
“We commit to your intercession all the members of our community, beginning with the weakest ones, from the unborn to the sick, the disabled and the elderly.
“We commit to you our families, our young and old, and all who are vulnerable, those who are quarantined or anxious.
“We entrust to your Immaculate Heart those who have lost their livelihood or employment, our pastors and other essential service workers, and our leaders at this time.
“We implore your intercession especially for the protection of doctors and nurses and those who minister to the contagious sick in this crisis.
“Reign over us Mother of God and teach us how to make the Heart of Jesus reign triumph in us and around us, as it has reigned and triumphed in you!
“St Joseph, Pray for us.”
Finally the Bishop’s are recognizing Our Lady Help of Christians. Our patroness has been forgotten for too long. She will protect and help us under this title.
I have been praying to our Nation’s Patron Saint since this horrible pandemic started , and I bet many others have too !!
I’m so pleased that your Bishops are taking this beautiful and special step to entrust the care of Australia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary! Here in Canada we as Catholic citizens are welcomed to participate in a 54 day Novena which includes invoking the prayers of 6 Saints considered special to us during the different segments of this prayer period. Through Mary’s Immaculate Heart, May God bless both of our countries forever.
Them’s my sentiments too, Monica. Under any title. What took them so long?
A Thankyou for this proposal from Perth WA🙏 Mary Help of Christians please pray for us, AMEN. Immaculate Heart of Mary protect us 🙏🌹🙏
Thank you for this proposal Victoria Australia 🙏🙏🙏
Geraldine
From Western Australia thank you to all the Bishops who supported the Entrustment fo Australia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary this Sunday 24th May. As we look up at night at the Crux in our sky, the Southern Cross that crosses our country, remind us all of Our Mother’s protection. Always. God Bless
Six thousand years ago the southern cross was visible as far north as Moscow,now its primarily only visible in the Southern Hemisphere and as Christianity has traveled south so has the crux.like wise Genesis 28:14 when the bible was translated into Latin around the year 410 the Joseph/Israel descendants would go to terra Australis incognito
“O Immaculate Mary, Help of Christians, Queen of heaven and earth, and tender Mother of humanity, at this time when a pandemic threatens all your children, we entrust to you our nation, Australia, and all who live in this country.
Jesus loved telling simple stories.He often referred to sheep.
Here is a chook story. I have chooks with little chicks. At the first sign of danger they run under the mumma hen. She spreads out her wings to protect them.
Same with Immaculate Mary, more than ever we must run to her and get under Her Mantle of protection.
Scripture says “Rejoice always”. Let us rejoice that even though this pandemic is tragic, it reminds us all just how vulnerable we all are. We need God and our Queen.
This has been such a wonderful idea and Our dear Mother Mary has certainly come through.