In the Vatican Gardens, the Mosaic of Haiti’s Patroness Is Blessed

A Sign of Trust and Affection for Our Lady of Perpetual Help

The Church and the people of Haiti have expressed their deep bond with the See of Peter by placing an image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Patroness of the Republic of Haiti, in the Vatican Gardens.

The inauguration and blessing ceremony of the artistic mosaic took place on the morning of Friday, June 27, and was presided over by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State and Sister Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

The blessing of the Marian image—which represents not only a devotion but a source of hope for a nation often shaken by natural disasters and economic crises—was carried out by His Excellency Monsignor Wismick Jean-Charles, Auxiliary Bishop of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Among those present were His Excellency Gandy Thomas, Ambassador of the Republic of Haiti to the Italian Republic, representatives of the Haitian government and Mrs. Marie Guerlyne Janvier, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Haiti to the Holy See.

The initiative was promoted by the Embassy of Haiti to the Holy See on the occasion of the 165th anniversary of the concordat between the Republic of Haiti and the Holy See, signed in 1860—a symbol of the longstanding diplomatic and faith-based ties.

Later that afternoon, in the Choir Chapel of St. Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, presided over a concelebrated Mass. Afterwards, Archbishop Emilio Nappa, Secretary General of the Governorate, together with Mrs. Marie Guerlyne Janvier, unveiled a special commemorative postal cancellation marking the 165th anniversary of the concordat between the Holy See and the Republic of Haiti. The cancellation features a detail from the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, showing the angel presenting the instruments of the Passion to the Child Jesus. The cancellation is completed with the inscriptions: “165 Years of Relations between the Holy See and Haiti,” “28.03.2025,” and “Poste Vaticane.” Also in attendance was Antonino Intersimone, Director of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Vatican City Governorate.

Below is the translation of the speech delivered by the President of the Governorate [original in French] during the inauguration of the Marian image:

I begin by greeting Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State and all of you here present.

We have gathered to inaugurate the image of Haiti’s Patroness, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, in the Vatican Gardens. Through this gift, the presence of the Haitian people at the Seat of the Successor of Peter is both affirmed and renewed.

I express my gratitude for this initiative to the Shepherds of the Church and to the Ambassador of Haiti to the Holy See.

The bond that unites your country to Mary has been made manifest through her maternal intercession throughout the centuries. In particular, on February 5, 1882, during a smallpox epidemic claiming hundreds of lives, the Pastor of the Cathedral of Port-au-Prince asked the Archbishop to organize a novena and carry the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in procession to the hill of Bel Air. From there, the Archbishop blessed the city and the entire nation. The Virgin answered this invocation with motherly care, and in less than three days, the epidemic vanished.

It was the people’s faith—voiced first by the Pastor of the cathedral and then the Archbishop—that stirred an outpouring of prayer to Mary for help.

In remembrance of this event, Haitians have always turned to Mary in times of need, leading up to December 8, 1942, when Archbishop Joseph-Marie Le Gouazé of Port-au-Prince consecrated the nation to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The annual celebration held on June 27 is a special moment for the Haitian people—an occasion to thank Mary for her constant aid to Haiti.

The icon itself, far more than an expression of anguish before the Passion, speaks of tenderness and mercy. The Virgin’s gaze is serene, her arm strong, and her help perpetual and certain. Entrusting ourselves to her, we have nothing to fear.

I would like to conclude by supplicating Our Lady with the prayer so dear to the Haitian people:

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, come to our aide,
protect Haiti,
protect the Church,
protect the entire world,
protect our homes and bless our children.