Chapel of Our Lady of Assistance

Our Lady of Perpetual Help , sometimes Our Lady of Help and Victory, is a Marian title associated with a Byzantine icon of the same name . The icon has been in Rome since the late 15th century , but may be older. The image is very popular among Catholics. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the image is known as Theotokos of the Passion (literally: goddess of passion).

The icon shows the Virgin Mary in a dark red robe with a blue cape and veil . Archangel Michael can be seen on the left. He carries the spear and sponge as objects of Jesus' crucifixion. Archangel Gabriel is depicted on the right with a triple cross and keys.

It is an icon of the so-called Hodegetria type, in which Mary points to her son. The baby Jesus senses his suffering and turns to his mother for comfort. The expression of the Virgin is solemn and is aimed at the viewer rather than her child.

It is also striking that Jesus' sandal is loose. This refers to a word from John the Baptist who said he was not worthy to take the sandal off Jesus. Another, more popular explanation is that Mary is afraid of the message from the two angels about the child's imminent suffering. The shock of terror causes the sandal to detach from the foot.

Willem Vandenameele