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America’s Latest Basilica

Holy Hill, the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, has been named a basilica minor by the Holy Father. The Carmelite friars came from Bavaria to found the monastery at this hill in Wisconsin one hundred years ago in 1906. While the invocation of Mary as Help of Christians (Auxilium Christianorum) began in the 1500’s, the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians was instituted in 1815 by Pope Pius VII in thanksgiving to God and Our Lady for the freedom of the Papacy and of Europe brought about by the defeat and exile of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Via the Holy Whapping.

Above photograph of Holy Hill by Carl Waltz

Published at 1:33 pm on Wednesday 26 July 2006. Categories: Church.
Comments

Odd that Napoleon died on May 5, 1821, the feast of Saint Pius V, and the name-day of the very Pope whom he had imprisoned and caused so much suffering. The Pope was very forgiving to him, giving refuge to his family in Rome.

— elena maria vidal 30 Jul 2006 2:15 pm

Oops! Sorry! I also read in Abbot Gueranger’s “The Liturgical Year” that Napoleon sent messengers to Pope Pius VII from St Helena, begging that he be absolved of his excommunication, and the Pope graciously accepted Bonaparte’s repentance. I think a special confessor was sent to him, but not sure about that….

— elena maria vidal 30 Jul 2006 2:29 pm
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