THE  'MARIA AUSILIATRICE'  MAGAZINE
RIVISTA MARIA AUSILIATRICE  on the INTERNET:
www.donbosco-torino.it/ita

    THE ORIGIN OF THE "MARIA AUSILIATRICE" MAGAZINE

24th May, 1928. The celebration of Mary help of Christians. And it was on that day at Valdocco, that a new monthly magazine was born, entitled

   "MARIA AUSILIATRICE" (Mary the Helper).

It was the wish of a great Salesian with a strong devotion to the Madonna - the Rector Major, the Blessed Filippo Rinaldi.

This is how he himself presented the birth of the new magazine to the many devotees of Mary Help of Christians:

          To the devotees of Mary the Most Holy Helper of Christians,

 
There has been a great deal of demand for a periodical that dealt only with Mary the Most Holy Helper of Christians and her Sanctuary in Turin.
This has come from many of her devotees that live far away, moved by the desire to draw further from the fortunate centre of the Help of Christian's marvels. They seek the inspiration and apostolic force of the young in their remote countries and ask their neighbours, those attending church, why there is not a voice to publicise the Marian glory of which they are a part and happy witness. To all of them it seemed inconceivable that, with almost every sanctuary in the world having their own periodical, their was still not one for the Sanctuary of Mary the Help of Christians, in recent times, wanted built here in Valdocco for the work of her apostle Don Bosco…

In a dream, his ears rang to the comforting words: "Haec Domus mea: hinc gloria mea! Here is my house, from here comes my glory", and this was repeated with ever growing intensity. It was almost as if to instil in the soul that here, we are really in the House of Mary and that, therefore, with words amd work, we must make sure that her glory radiates out without interruption all over the world to save souls.

These words contain the whole aim of our magazine, written in the very House of the Madonna of Don Bosco so that, little by little, it brings and makes the glory of her powerful help, in public and private need, glow everywhere, in all its splendour. The universal need to invoke Mary is not particular, but general… May the powerful Mother bless the writers and collaborators so that our work is not in vain. Oh devotees of Mary Help of Christians, we recommend this magazine to your judgement. Yours in the name of Jesus,  
                                                                                                     Fr. Filippo Rinaldi  
 

Unfortunately after a few years, the magazine's publication ceased. And so we come to 1980.

                         John Paul II makes his
                    first visit to Turin-Valdocco.
He comes to Valdocco two times. His meeting with the young in Piazza Maria Ausiliatrice is unforgettable. Among the many subjects raised by the grace of this visit was the reissue of the magazine. This reappeared, over the following months in a bi-monthly format that after two years, became monthly.

THE TITLE  
MARIA  'AUSILIATRICE'

Why does Mary have the title HELP OF CHRISTIANS?
Don Bosco confided this one day to one of his first Salesians, Fr Cagliero, a great missionary in Latin-America and a Cardinal.


 "Our Lady wants us to honour her under the title of Help of Christians. The times are so sad that we need the Holy Virgin to help us preserve and defend the Christian faith".

The title, Help of Christians, was not invented by Don Bosco nor was it the result of his great devotion to Mary. It had already existed in Loreto literny since the 16th century.

Pope Pius VII began the celebration of Mary Help of Christians in 1814 and fixed its date on 24th May.
Don Bosco writes on:

"From her high seat of glory she casts down her maternal gaze and says: I live on the highest throne of glory to enrich those that love me with blessings and fill their treasuries with celestial favours. For this reason and since her Assumption in heaven, there has been the constant and uninterrupted flow of Christians to Mary. I have never heard, says St Bernard, of anyone going to this merciful Virgin with faith and not being answered."
It is thanks to Don Bosco and the construction of the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, that the title of Help of Christians returned to the Church.

Don Bosco himself recommended his Salesians, in any part of the world, to go and propagate devotion to Our Lady, with the title of Help of Christians.

That is why, today, one talks of Mary Help of Christians as the Madonna of Don Bosco.

To obey this wish, or better recommendation, of Don Bosco, to spread devotion to Mary under the title of Help of Christians,
      the 'MARIA AUSILIATRICE' MAGAZINE
was born, continuing today with its monthly publication.

It is 'produced' in the shadow of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Torino-Valdocco, a desire of Don Bosco to honour the Mother of Jesus who, as he often said, was the inspiration, supporter and maternal help in every one of his works to help the young.



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