Solace
Pope Pius VI died in gaol, courtesy of Napoleon Bonaparte. Pius VII was impounded, too. He was freed in 1814.
In 1815, the pope instituted the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians. The Australian Bishops, in 1844, entrusted Australia to her care.
The new colony would have struggled on many counts. Developing the food chain from scratch would have been one, monumental task in a foreign land.
Practicing the faith was difficult, with the first three governors pledging that they did not believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation.
Our Lady was solace then, as she is now.
Amen.
When exactly in 1844 did the Bishops entrust Australia to Our Lady Help of Christians? There is no mention of this in the Synod Papers of that year.