Mary has carried many titles throughout the centuries — but few are as old or as powerful as this one. Help of Christians. It is the cry of the Church in her most difficult moments, and it has never gone unanswered. This prayer is for all of us who need her help today — and who trust that she still intercedes for her children as she always has.
Who Is Mary, Help of Christians?
The title “Help of Christians” has ancient roots — it appears in one of the oldest prayers addressed to Mary, the Sub Tuum Praesidium, dating back to the third century. It was added to the Litany of Loreto by Pope Pius V in 1571, after the victory at the Battle of Lepanto was attributed to Mary’s intercession. Decades later, Pope Pius VII — freed from Napoleon’s imprisonment — returned to Rome on May 24, 1814, and officially established her feast day on that date in thanksgiving. Saint John Bosco, founder of the Salesians, made this title the heart of his apostolate and built a great basilica in her honor in Turin in 1868.
When Should You Pray This Prayer?
Pray this prayer when you are facing:
- A moment of crisis in your personal life or family
- Temptation or a struggle to live your faith
- Persecution or difficulty because of your beliefs
- A need for courage to remain faithful
- The feast day of Mary, Help of Christians — May 24
- Any time you feel the Church or the world needs her protection
Prayer to Mary, Help of Christians
Mary, Help of Christians,
we come to you as your children —
not because we are strong,
but because we are not.
The world around us is loud,
and remaining faithful is not always easy.
We grow tired.
We become discouraged.
We lose our way more often
than we would like to admit.
And yet here we are —
turning to you,
as so many before us have done
in battles and in prisons,
in times of plague
and in quiet, ordinary suffering.
Through your intercession,
so many have found strength before us
Stay close to us now.
Intercede for us, Mary.
Obtain for us the grace
to remain faithful when faith is costly,
to love when love is difficult,
and to hope
when hope feels far away.
Watch over your Church.
Watch over our families.
Watch over the ones we love
who have walked away.
Help of Christians, pray for us —
now and in every moment
we cannot face alone.
Amen.
How to Use This Prayer
Pray this on May 24, the feast of Mary, Help of Christians, or any time you feel the need for her powerful intercession. The Salesians traditionally pray a novena to Mary Help of Christians from May 16 to May 24 — if you begin today, you finish right on her feast day.
Related Prayers
- Prayer to Mary, Mother of the Church — another beautiful Marian memorial celebrated in May
- Holy Spirit Novena Prayer — pray with Mary as she prayed with the apostles
- Sub Tuum Praesidium Prayer — the oldest prayer to Mary, connected to this devotion
- Month of Mary Devotions — more ways to honor Mary this May
Share this prayer with someone who needs Mary’s help today.
