Our Lady of Perpetual Help made my Catholic marriage possible

When I was very young, at the age of six, I began to regularly visit the Cistercian monastery located a few kilometers outside our city. The nun in charge of me made the icons of Our Lady that were sold in the monastery's store. I was particularly attached to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and I kept a small icon of her in my suitcase for a long time.

After I went away to university, and later got married, I lost the icon. But I always kept a picture of it in my breviary. A few years ago, I was going through a very difficult time at work and started missing the dear icon of my secret mother.

In 2018, thanks to Saint Joseph, I found another job. I went back to the monastery and bought a large icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and put it in my room. Then my job transferred me to another town, and when I moved again I left that icon behind. But an inner voice kept insisting that I bring the icon back with me. Which I did in 2019. I lit candles in front of it the first 9 days of every month for three months in a row, and then suddenly, in January 2020 my husband of 26 years who had always refused to have a religious marriage, insistently asked that we get married in the Church!

Despite the pandemic, we had a very beautiful wedding and we even consecrated our home to the Virgin Mary. Our Lady of Perpetual Help is wonderful at granting graces. Pray to her always!

W. N., a reader of A Moment with Mary

Testimonial sent to the Marie de Nazareth Association in January 2021