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The Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help

Filipinos have embraced Mary, Our Mother of Perpetual Help, as their own mother. From the moment that Our Mother of Perpetual Help arrived in the Philippines in 1906, Filipinos took her into their own home. Many devotees call Our Mother of Perpetual Help as “Mama Mary” (Mother Mary). This may sound sentimentalist to some but it also expresses a deep devotion and child-like dependence that Filipinos have developed for Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

Unlike other objects of devotions to the Blessed Mother in the Philippines which are usually images or statues of Western origin, Our Mother of Perpetual Help is an icon of Eastern origin.  Devotees may perhaps know that Our Mother of Perpetual Help is an icon but many of them find the icon enigmatic even foreign. Many are unfamiliar that this icon comes from the Eastern tradition.