Our parish celebrates its Feast Day on the Sunday preceding May 24, the exact date for the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians. You are all invited to join our children and youth at 11 am for the Crowning of Mary (outdoor statue) and to attend the 11:30 am outdoor Mass organized by our Youth. We are blessed to have such a large number of children and youth at OLHOC. Let us all celebrate with them with great joy on our Parish Feast Day!

Since the dedication of our new altar by Cardinal Gregory last January, we have also begun to celebrate St John Bosco as the Patron Saint of Youth and as the modern Saint having the greatest devotion to Mary Help of Christians!

Whenever I venerate the new altar at the beginning of any Mass, I kiss the Altar right on the spot where two first-class relics were inserted by Cardinal Gregory at the Altar Dedication Mass last January: bones of St John Bosco and St Mary Mazzarello, the founders of the Salesian Order, including the Salesian Brothers and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, still the largest group of nuns in the world. Salesians are dedicated to the education of boys and girls throughout the world.

As in many countries, our church was named Our Lady Help of Christians because of the great devotion St John Bosco and his order of Salesians had for Mary Help of Christians.

When I went to El Salvador a few years ago, many of the houses I visited had images or Statues of Our Lady Help of Christians (Maria Auxiliadora). Not surprisingly, I also discovered that there are many Catholic schools in El Salvador managed by Salesian brothers and sisters. This is also true in many other Latin American countries, and the Philippines.

The closest Salesian school to Waldorf is "Cristo Rey", the very successful Catholic High School for boys and girls near Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Takoma Park. Another connection of “Cristo Rey” with our parish: Cardinal Hickey established our parish on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows, September 15, 1980.

For the first time In the last 12 years, several of our Confirmandi chose St John Bosco as their Confirmation Saint! May St John Bosco keep protecting all our children and youth through the intercession of our patroness Saint Mary Help of Christians.

Last Monday (May 16), we invited all of you to begin a Novena to “Our Lady Help of Christians” to end on May 24, our PARISH FEAST DAY. You can find on our website the entire Novena.

Let us pray together the following Prayer to Mary Help of Christians composed by St John Bosco and used at end of one to the Novenas of Mary Help of Christians:

Most Holy Virgin Mary Help of Christians How sweet it is to come to your feet Imploring your perpetual help.
If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children,
How can you, the most loving of all mothers forget me?
Grant then to me, I implore you
your perpetual help in all my necessities,
in every sorrow, and especially
in all my temptations.
I ask for your unceasing help for all who are now suffering.
Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through your intercessions many voca- tions to the religious life.
Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, That having invoked you on earth we may love and eternally thank you
In heaven.

May God grant us all a most blessed PARISH FEAST DAY this Sunday!

One in Christ,


Fr. Alain