https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2017/02/11/three-lessons-from-lourdes/

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/february-11---our-lady-of-lourdes

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/september-29st-michael-archangel/

(1576-1660)

“If God is the center of your life, no words are necessary. Your mere presence will touch hearts.”

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/september-27--st-vincent-of-paul/

(1920-2005)

Reigned as Pope from 1978-2005

“The more ready you are to give yourself to God and to others, the more you discover the authentic meaning of life. Never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged.”

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/october-22---st-john-paul-ii-pope/

(346-430)

He holds a crosier because he was a bishop and a heart because he once said,

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-28st-augustine-of-hippo/

This image of Our Lady commemorates the joys and sorrows of the Mother of God, her virtues and perfections, her love for God and her Divine Son and her compassionate love for mankind.

The beautiful mosaic icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, purchased in Rome, is surrounded by the images of Baptism and the Presentation. The octagonal font symbolizes the eighth day, the day of the resurrection, the day outside of time. The statues of St. Simeon and St. Anna reminds us of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. The image of God Father and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove recall Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan when the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

https://mycatholic.life/the-my-catholic-life-series/my-catholic-worship/chapter-3-the-sacrament-of-baptism/

A replica of Michelangelo's famous Pieta. The most “perfect” block of marble becomes the embodiment of perfection itself.

The term Pietà finds its roots in the Italian word for “pity” and the Latin word for “piety.” Heartrending, this composition depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of her son Jesus in her loving arms. With no reference in the scriptures, the Pieta subject developed as a devotional image in 13th-century Germany, where it was regarded as Vesperbild or “the evening picture.” Popularized by the Franciscans, it evoked devotion and faith.

https://aleteia.org/2018/03/26/picturing-the-passion-pieta-by-michelangelo

Seven Sorrows of Mary (Feast Day: September 15th)

The Seven Sorrows of Mary commemorates the profound union of hearts that existed between the Mother of the Redeemer and the Savior, through which she experienced many interior sorrows as a consequence of His Mission, but particularly during His Passion and Death.

The Seven Sorrows of Mary

• The Prophecy of Simeon. Luke 2:34-35.
• The Flight into Egypt. Matthew 2:13-21.
• The Loss of Jesus for Three Days. Luke 2:41-50.
• The Carrying of the Cross. John 19:17.
• The Crucifixion of Jesus. John 19:18-30.
• Jesus Taken Down from the Cross. John 19:39-40.
• Jesus Laid in the Tomb. John 19:39-42.

https://stjosemaria.org/the-seven-sorrows-of-mary/

Image of Divine Mercy (Feast Day: The Sunday After Easter)

https://divinemercyapostolate.co.uk/the-divine-mercy-devotion/

https://holiermatrimony.com/?p=339

Louis Martin (1823 – 1894) and Azélie-Marie ("Zélie") Guérin Martin (1831 – 1877) were the first Roman Catholic couple to be canonized together and the parents of five nuns, including St Thérèse of Lisieux, (1873-1897) a Carmelite nun who was canonized as a saint and doctor of the Catholic Church in 1925.

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/october-1---st-therese-of-lisieux-religious-and-doctor-of-the-church/

“Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden to me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love." St Therese

In the devotion to the Sacred Heart, the heart of Jesus represents the divine wellspring of love, the source from which flows an abundance of compassion, mercy, and grace. It is the heart that symbolizes the core of Christ's message – love God above all and love your neighbor as yourself.

https://www.simplycatholic.com/why-the-sacred-heart/

1626

Mary’s head is gently leaning to her right, her eyes are half closed, her hands are crossed in devotion; this reminds that she is a virgin, humble servant of the Lord, merciful mother and patron of the people of Lithuania and Poland, which is why she has two crowns. At the same time, her head is surrounded by an aureola with golden rays and her body is usually covered in elaborate gold and silver rizas and crowns; these are the symbols of her divine and majestic role as the Queen of Heaven.

https://catholicismpure.wordpress.com/2017/11/16/our-lady-of-the-gate-of-dawn/

She was a renowned legendary woman who, moved by the sight of Christ carrying his cross to Golgotha, gave him her kerchief to wipe his brow, after which he handed it back imprinted with the image of his face.

These paintings, along with those in the Shrine of St. Joseph, dated to the 1890s and was restored by the Art Institute of Chicago. They depict the joyful mysteries of the Rosary (the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity of Jesus, the Presentation and the Finding of Jesus in the Temple).

In 1917, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal each month from May through October. The message of Our Lady was a call to repentance and prayer, and the importance of spiritual conversion. The message also warned of the consequences of sin, including war and suffering.

https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/saints/our-lady-of-fatima-423

This well-known icon from the Byzantine era depicts the figure of Mary offering love and comfort to her Son Jesus as the two angels, St’s Michael and Gabriel, with veiled hands, offer him the instruments of his passion – the cross, the spear, and the sponge. It is of no small significance that Our Blessed Mother herself referred to the icon by the title of “Holy Mary of Perpetual Help.” Surely this, along with the symbolism we see in the picture, should assure us of the loving concern and tenderness our Blessed Mother has for us, and her ardent desire to be a source of perpetual help to all who call upon her. The icon was “written” and installed by Gil Aceves of Pro Studios, a Chicago based artist and studio.

Symbolism of the Icon of Our Lady | Saint Mary of Perpetual Help - All Saints - Saint Anthony Parish | Chicago, IL

Embedded in the beautiful Botticino marble columns are symbols of Christ’s passion, which calls to mind the great sacrifice that was made by Our Lord in order for us to receive His Body and Blood in Holy Communion, the Sacrament of eternal life.

A sanctuary lamp in a Catholic church signals the presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist in the tabernacle. The word sanctuary is generally defined as a location that is "holy," "sacred," or "set apart." In a Catholic church, this is the place where Mass is celebrated and where the consecrated hosts are reserved in the tabernacle. In order to alert the faithful that consecrated hosts are present in the tabernacle, sanctuary lamps were placed near them and remain perpetually lit. The tradition of having a lit lamp reminding people of the presence of God can even be found in the Old Testament, as the Catholic Encyclopedia explains:

In the Old Testament God commanded that a lamp filled with the purest oil of olives should always burn in the Tabernacle of the Testimony without the veil (Exodus 27:20, 21)

By depicting Jesus as a child, the tradition of the Infant of Prague also emphasizes His humanity, and how we are children of God because of the salvation that He brings us. As Pope Benedict XVI said: “The figure of the Child Jesus, the tender infant, brings home to us God's closeness and his love.”

History of the Infant Jeaus of Prague | EWTN

In the shrine of St. Joseph, there is a beautiful depiction of the “Death of St. Joseph” in the arms of Jesus, as well as paintings depicting the Holy Family, the flight into Egypt and the marriage of Mary and Joseph.

(1195-1231)

He is especially invoked and venerated all over the world as the patron saint for the recovery of lost items and is credited with many miracles involving lost people, lost things and even lost spiritual goods.

“Solicitude for material things distracts the soul and divides it. The devil seizes the divided soul and drags it to hell.”

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/june-13--st-antony-of-padua/

The Virgin of Guadalupe dates back to 1531, when Our Lady appeared to the indigenous Juan Diego on the Cerro del Tepeyac. Some nine million Aztecs were converted to Christ by the power of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. At that time, the Aztec peoples were practicing human sacrifice. As a result of the image's presence among the people, their hearts were converted to the true God and the practice of human sacrifice was abolished.

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/12-december-usa-our-lady-of-guadalupe--feast/

(1568-1591)

St. Aloysius was noted for his asceticism and quickly volunteered to care for the sick and dying at a Jesuit hospital when the plague broke out in Rome. Shortly before his ordination, he contracted the disease himself and died at age 23. He is the patron saint of Catholic young people because of how diligently he pursued holiness before his death at the age of 23.

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/june-21--st-aloysius-gonzaga/

(1828-1898)

Patron Saint of Lebanon

St. Charbel says, "I am with you. I intercede with God for all those who pray for me, until the end of time." Over 40,000 miracles through his intercession have been recorded throughout the world at the Monastery of Saint Maron in Lebanon. This makes him the saint with the most miracles!

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/july-24---saint-sharbel-makhluf-hermit/

(1181-1226)

St. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in Roman Catholic history. He founded the Franciscan orders, including the Poor Clares and the lay Third Order.

“Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received--only what you have given.”

That’s why he has a skull at his feet to remind us of death. In the Canticle of the Sun, Francis says, “be praised, my Lord, for Sister Death,” he sees in Sister Death the way to God because it's the one that takes us to Him, the one that brings us into the fullness with Him. So, for him, death is to be embraced because it is the one who takes us to the Lord.

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/october-4--st-francis-of-assisi/

The Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/july-26st-anne/

	Blessed Carlo Acutis (soon to be a saint) https://carloacutis-en.org/
	Blessed Angela Salawa https://www.ncregister.com/blog/kelly-marcum-blessed-angela-salawa
	St. Francis Xavier Cabrini https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-13---saint-frances-xavier-cabrini-virgin---usa-memorial/
	St. John Henry Newman https://www.newmancanonisation.com/newmans-life

Please see the brochures on the table next to the shrine for their full biographies.

(1 AD)

Deriving from Thaddai, it means “heart,” “courageous heart,” or “friend.” It may also be a form of Theodore, which signifies “gift of God” in Greek. In the Christian Bible, Thaddeus, or Jude, was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ who helped spread the word of the gospel.

The flame on his head represents his presence at Pentecost, the tongues of fire, when he received the Holy Spirit with the other apostles.

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/october-28--sts-simon-and-jude/

(3rd c.)

When she professed Christianity and refused marriage, Dioscorus became enraged and took her to the provincial prefect, who ordered her to be tortured and beheaded. Dioscorus himself performed the execution and, upon his return home, was struck by lightning and reduced to ashes. She holds a chalice, because she drank from the cup of suffering that Our Lord spoke about in the Gospels and a sword, which was the instrument of her martyrdom.

(3rd c.)

Legend has it that Saint Lucy either plucked out her own eyes to remain chaste, to avoid marriage to a pagan, or had her eyes pulled out by the Emperor Diocletian. Because of her fidelity to Christ, bundles of wood were heaped around her and set alight but yet again she was saved by the grace of God. She eventually met her death in the year 304 AD by the sword at the age of 21.

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/13-december-saint-lucy-of-syracuse-virgin-and-martyr--memorial/

(270-343)

Bishop of Myra, Turkey

Saint Nicholas was known for his generosity and kindness. According to one story, he resurrected three youths after they'd been murdered and pickled in a barrel by an innkeeper. In another tale, he met a poor man who was on the brink of selling his own daughters into slavery. Under the cover of darkness, the saint anonymously threw three bags of gold down the chimney to provide dowries for the girls. The gold landed in their stockings, which were drying by the fire.

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/december-6---saint-nicholas-bishop--optional-memorial/

Forty two sacred icons of Catholic & Eastern Orthodox Saints adorn the walls of the vestibule to inspire and challenge parishioners and visitors to embrace their call to holiness and reminding them of what St. Paul once said, “Wherefore, as we have so great a cloud of witnesses encompassing us, let us lay aside every encumbrance and sin that clings so close and run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (This inscription is written over the front doors as your enter the church)

The stained glass windows by Joseph Artmaier are original with the construction of the church.

From front to back, they depict:

(Left)
	Our Lady of the Rosary with St. Dominic (1170-1221); Feast Day: August 8th READ MORE
	St. Francis Xavier (1506-52); Feast Day: Dec. 3rd READ MORE
	St. John the Baptist; Feast Day: June 24th READ MORE
	St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr; Feast Day: April 11th READ MORE
	St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226); Feast Day: Oct. 4th READ MORE
	St. Joseph; Feast Day: March 19th, May 1st READ MORE
	St. Michael, the Archangel; Feast Day: Sept. 29th READ MORE
(Right)
	Our Lady of Perpetual Help; Feast Day: June 27th READ MORE
	St. Stephen; Feast Day: Dec. 26th READ MORE
	St. Maurice; Feast Day: Sept. 22nd READ MORE
	Our Lady of Mount Carmel with St. Simon Stock; Feast Days: May 16th, July 16th READ MORE
	St. Adalbert; Feast Day: April 23rd READ MORE
	St. Paul; Feast Day: June 29th READ MORE
	The Immaculate Conception; Solemnity: December 8th READ MORE

An angled shot of the front facade from the church's balcony.

The front facade of the organ featuring the French Goldleaf painted facade pipes.

The current Aeolian-Skinner console which replaced the original Austin console in 1993.

The majestic beauty of the pipe organ is unmatched and unparalleled in the realm of music. The famous composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, referred to the pipe organ as the “King of Instruments,” for it is an instrument which encompasses within its very self the totality of human emotion and the experience of the Sacred. For this reason, the organ has always been held in high esteem in church music. The Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (“Sacrosanctum Concilium”) speaks of the pipe organ in this way, even bestowing upon it the honor of being the principle instrument of the Roman Rite. The late Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, gave a beautiful description of the role of the organ in our Catholic worship and liturgical prayer. During the blessing of the new pipe organ at the Regensberg Alte Kapelle on September 13, 2006, the revered Pontiff said:

The organ has always been considered, and rightly so, the king of musical instruments, because it takes up all the sounds of creation – as was just said – and gives resonance to the fullness of human sentiments, from joy to sadness, from praise to lamentation. By transcending the merely human sphere, as all music of quality does, it evokes the divine. The organ’s great range of timbre, from piano through to a thundering fortissimo, makes it an instrument superior to all others. It is capable of echoing and expressing all the experiences of human life. The manifold possibilities of the organ in some way remind us of the immensity and the magnificence of God.

Pope Benedict XVI continued in his address using the pipe organ as a metaphor for the Church highlighting the intrinsic need for the unity amongst the faithful and the transformative beauty of the Church’s public worship – that is the liturgical life of the Church – has on each one of us and the world:

Psalm 150, which we have just heard and interiorly followed, speaks of trumpets and flutes, of harps and zithers, cymbals and drums; all these musical instruments are called to contribute to the praise of the triune God. In an organ, the many pipes and voices must form a unity. If here or there something becomes blocked, if one pipe is out of tune, this may at first be perceptible only to a trained ear. But if more pipes are out of tune, dissonance ensues and the result is unbearable. Also, the pipes of this organ are exposed to variations of temperature and subject to wear. Now, this is an image of our community in the Church. Just as in an organ an expert hand must constantly bring disharmony back to consonance, so we in the Church, in the variety of our gifts and charisms, always need to find anew, through our communion in faith, harmony in the praise of God and in fraternal love. The more we allow ourselves, through the liturgy, to be transformed in Christ, the more we will be capable of transforming the world, radiating Christ’s goodness, his mercy and his love for others.

A close-up of the current console.

The original 1928 electric blower that produces the wind for the pipe organ.

The patented Austin Universal Air Chest, and which sits directly below all the pipework.

At Saint Mary of Perpetual Help, the role of sacred music within the Parish’s liturgical life has and continues to be a paramount fixture of prayer and evangelization. The church is blessed to house a pipe organ built by the Austin Pipe Organ Company of Hartford, Connecticut. This historic Austin organ was installed in 1928 and completed on August 15th of that same year at a whopping cost of $24,000 [$441,459.65 in 2024 currency]. It consists of over 4,000 pipes and is graced as Austin’s Opus 1602. At present day, the Austin organ of Saint Mary’s is 56-ranks; this incorporates the later addition done in the early 2000s of several digital stops to compliment the original 48-ranks of metal and wooden pipes. The original Austin console was replaced in 1993 with an unused Aeolian-Skinner organ console constructed in the late-1940s and which was kept in storage until the 1993 installation. The replacement console maintains the original four-manual, or keyboard, configuration and pedalboard. The pipework housed behind the organ’s front facade of French Goldleaf pipes is a testament and prime example of American organ building from the early Twentieth Century. The organ’s thunderous, and yet sweet, voice resounds with the talent and skill of old-world craftsmanship and the strength of the American spirit seeking to always praise the “God of our Fathers.” With its rich and symphonic sound, the Austin organ houses within itself a variety of beautiful and bold orchestral stops – such as a Clarinet, French Horn, Tuba Mirabilis, Oboe, Vox Humana, Harp, English Horn, Chimes, String Organ VII, Flute Ouverte, French Trumpet, and Stentorphone – the list goes on and on. The organ houses pipes made from metal – such as lead, zinc and copper – as well as wood. The majority of the instrument’s pipework is located in the church’s balcony with an echo division located in the church’s sanctuary behind the marble high altar. These pipes range in size from smaller than a standard pencil to as tall as sixteen-feet. The instrument is capable of playing repertoire from all the great schools of organ music, and can be heard at the Parish’s daily Masses and devotional services. Encouraged by the strength and majesty of this historic and beloved pipe organ, the faithful parishioners and visitors of Saint Mary of Perpetual Help are beckoned to a deeper praise and worship of the One-Triune God and to the renewal of the proud Catholic faith and tradition we boldly live and profess in the Holy Name of Christ Jesus and through the perfect example of discipleship given to us through His Holy Mother, who is our Heavenly Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

An example of the many valves and magnets that control the airflow to each individual pipe.

Behind the front facade looking up at the Solo Division with several of the 16' Open Diapason pipes to the right.

The original Austin Organ Co. nameplate.

The Swell Division

The Swell Division

The Solo Division

The Solo Division

The Choir/Great Divisions

The Choir/Great Divisions