The Association of the Devotees of Mary Help of Christians

A born organiser, Don Bosco did not leave the cult to Mary Help of Christians simply to spontaneous devotion. He gave it stability with an Association which took her name. First- hand witnesses saw in this institution one of the initiatives most dear to Don Bosco and the one with the widest impact after that of the two religious Congregations and the Association of the Cooperators⁹¹.

He himself traced out the origins in the leaflet Association of the Devotees of Mary Help of Christians canonically erected in the Church dedicated to Her in Turin with history information about this title by the priest John Bosco⁹². Following the presentation To the reader, some short chapters describe the history of the title of Help of Christians, from the Bible to the battle of Lepanto (1571), to the liberation of Vienna in 1683 and, finally, to the institution of the feast by Pius VII in 1814⁹³. A few pages were dedicated to the Devotion to Mary Help of Christians at Monaco and at Turin and to the spiritual favours granted by Pius IX to the sanctuary in Turin⁹⁴. This is followed by documents concerning the canonical approbation of the Association. The first was from April 1869, the Supplica by Don Bosco to the archbishop of Turin, "requesting the canonical approbation of the Association.". In this he asked him to "take in gracious consideration" the "pious project" and to examine the Statutes and – expressing the usual total readiness - "to add, remove, change " whatever he judged appropriate, "with all the conditions" "he might judge suitable to promote the glories of the August Queen of Heaven and the good of souls," The approbation of Archbishop Riccardi dated 18 April was gracious and generous, in harmony with the brief of 16 March with which Pius IX had granted to the new Association ample indulgences for ten years⁹⁵. The last part of the leaflet contained the text of the statutes, a long series of prayers and devout practices with an indication of the relevant indulgences attached, a short catechetical explanation about indulgences in general, the decree of 22 May 1868, with which Pius IX granted a plenary indulgence to all those who "in a religious spirit " visited "the church dedicated in Turin to Mary the Immaculate Virgin under the title of Mary Help of Christians, on the titular feast of this church or on one of the preceding days "⁹⁶.

As he was accustomed to say in presenting important documents, Don Bosco attributed the origin of the Association to "repeated requests," coming "from all parts and from people of all ages and every condition" during and after the construction and the consecration of the church. He referred to the associates as "those united in the same spirit of prayer and piety paying homage to the great Mother of the Saviour invoked with the beautiful title of the Help of Christians"⁹⁷.

In these circumstances too Don Bosco quickly drew up the statutes which were not a masterpiece of doctrinal or juridical presentation but which shone for their spontaneity and practical nature. He mentioned again the close links that he usually indicated between devotion to Mary and to Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The material was divided into three sections, the first without heading: the purpose and the means, the spiritual advantages, reception. Enrolment was open to all without any special conditions (Reception, art. 1-3)⁹⁸. The following were proposed to the Associates as the aims: zeal for the increase in piety, spirituality, worship: "to promote the glories of the divine Mother of the Saviour" (art. 1); "to spread devotion to the Blessed Virgin and veneration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament " (art. 2), to make use "of words, of advice, good works and influence to promote dignity and devotion in the novenas, feasts and solemnities that occur during the year to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Most Holy Sacrament" (art. 3); in addition, to encourage "the spreading of good books, pictures, medals and leaflets, taking part in processions in honour of Mary most holy and the Blessed Sacrament and encouraging others to do likewise, frequent Communion and presence at Holy Mass, the accompaniment of Viaticum to the dying " (art. 4); to make great efforts “never to use blasphemy or engage in talk contrary to religion, and to do their utmost to prevent those under their charge from doing likewise; they will also do all they can to remove obstacles in the way of the sanctification of Sundays and Feast-days " (art. 5). The means were basically an intense life of personal piety: " to approach the Sacraments of Confession and Communion once a fortnight or once a month, and assist at daily Mass if one’s duties permit." (art. 6); for the ordinary faithful, suitable brief prayers were suggested in the morning and evening, and for priests, having the intention of praying at mass for all the members of this pious Association: " These prayers,” he pointed out, “will serve as a bond to unite all the members so that they form a single mind and soul to give due honour to Jesus hidden in the Eucharist and his august Mother, and participate in all the good works done by each member." (art. 7)⁹⁹. Regarding the spiritual growth of the members in "putting in common all their good works," prayers and indulgences, the eight articles under the heading Spiritual advantages¹⁰⁰ dealt at length.

To increase the expansion of the Association Don Bosco managed to have it erected as an Archconfraternity, with the faculty of aggregating to it similar associations already in existence or later to be erected. This was granted by Pius IX with the brief Sodalitia Fidelium of 5 April 1870, which, however, limited the aggregation to the archdiocese of Turin. With a subsequent brief Expositum Nobis of 2 March 1877 the faculty was extended to all the dioceses of Piedmont. After the death of Don Bosco, Leo XIII, first with the brief Admotae Nobis preces of 25 June 1889, granted the faculty of aggregation to all the similar associations "erected or to be erected in any church or public oratory belonging to the Salesian Society wherever they may be "; then with the brief Cum multa of 19 January 1894 he conferred in perpetuo on the Rector Major of the Salesians and his successors the faculty of being able "to validly and lawfully erect other associations of the same name, and institute in any place where houses and churches of the Congregation existed and aggregate the associations erected to the above mentioned Archconfraternity”; two years afterwards with the brief Sodalitas of 25 February 1896 he granted the Rector Major and his successors the faculty of "aggregating to the same Archconfraternity", established in the church of Mary Help of Christians in Turin, other associations with the same aims and of the same kind canonically erected in any church or diocese ". Finally, the Sacred Congregation for Religious with the rescript of 31 July 1913 granted the privilege that the Rector Major might canonically erect the Associations of the Devotees of Mary Help of Christians also in the houses of the Institute of the FMA and aggregate them to the Primary Centre in Turin¹⁰¹.

(PIETRO BRAIDO, Don Bosco prete dei giovani nel secolo delle libertà, LAS, Roma 2003, Vol I pp. 526 - 528.)