By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic
Green, gold and brown leaves surround a statuette of St. Joseph and the Christ Child on the chancel at Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland.
Green, gold and brown leaves, and even live palm fronds, surround a statuette of the patron saint on the chancel at Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland.
The holy oils of anointing stand on a bed of Spanish moss at Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland. The oils are used for baptism, for confirmation and to anoint the sick.
The disciples gather around Jesus in this bas-relief Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland. The artwork is the door of the Tabernacle, where the Eucharistic bread and wine are stored.
Stylized crucifix adorns the processional cross Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland. At Jesus' feet is a skull in a tomb, symbolizing his death.
Bust of Mary was donated in memory of a loved one to Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland. The bust is a detail from the sculpture La Pieta by Michelangelo.
Mural of trees shelters a small chapel for Mary at the back of Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland.
A full-size statue, white with gold trim, stands outside the school of Mary Help of Christians in Parkland.
Mary wields a scepter of command in a traditional-style statuette at Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland.
Mary is seated in this statuette at Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland. The sharp-grained olive wood was carved in the Holy Land.
This statue at Mary Help of Christians, portrays her as Our Lady of Divine Providence, watching over a sleeping Christ Child.
Olivewood wall sculpture hangs in the office at Mary Help of Christians Church, Parkland. Known as the Jerusalem Cross, it has four small crosses for the wounds in Jesus' hands and feet, plus a large cross for the wound in his side.
Jesus as the Good Shepherd gazes at a lamb in this statuette at Mary Help of Christians Church, Parkland.
An unusual alabaster statuette at Mary Help of Christians Church, Parkland, shows the extended Holy Family. Holding the baby Jesus are Mary and Joseph, while they are embraced in turn by Anne and Joachim, the traditional parents of Mary.
Bas-relief at Mary Help of Christians Church, Parkland, renders in metal the famous Last Supper mural by Leonardo Da Vinci.
Wooden crucifix overlooks a room at Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland. The sign above Jesus' head reads "Jesus, King of the Jews," in Hebrew, Greek and Latin.
The Holy Family is a focus of one of several outdoor chapels at Mary Help of Christians Church, Parkland.
St. Fiacre, the seventh century patron saint of gardeners, is the centerpiece of a chapel in the wooded preserve at Mary Help of Christians Church, Parkland. An Eagle Scout donated the statuette.
Photography: Jim Davis
Photographer: Jim Davis | FC
Big windows behind the chancel allow members of Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland to enjoy nature even during Mass.
PARKLAND | Peaceful music, cool grottos, bubbling springs, open hands: common images when many people think of Mary. But when European Catholics faced an invasion, they looked to her as a defender.
In the 16th century, a naval force known as the Holy League threw back a Turkish fleet that threatened Mediterranean lands. With thousands praying to Mary, the league secured Christendom in Europe.
The battle is one source for the birth of the Feast of Mary, Help of Christians, held on May 24. Just as the faithful asked her to rescue Europe, they look to her for more everyday aid problems as well.
Photographer: Jim Davis | FC
Green, gold and brown leaves surround a statuette of St. Joseph and the Christ Child on the chancel at Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland.
That naval victory was by no means certain. In 1453, the Ottoman Turks brought down the Christian Byzantine Empire, later invading the Balkans and eastern Europe. The Ottoman navy likewise attacked Cyprus and menaced the whole Mediterranean basin. And petty rivalries divided European kings, preventing a united response.
Pope Pius V finally persuaded the rulers to join against the Ottomans, and the Holy League sailed to aid Cyprus. Meanwhile, Pius called on Catholics to pray the rosary and ask Mary, as Our Lady of Victory, to secure triumph for the Christian navy.
On Oct. 7, 1571, the two sides fought, totaling about 500 ships and 100,000 fighters, one of the largest-ever naval battles. The Ottoman fleet was shattered, and news of the victory yielded Masses, paintings, poems and festivals. Pius V declared the day as the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Mary, of course, has aided her children at other times besides war. A prayer known as Sub tuum praesidium dates to the third or fourth century, when the Roman Empire was killing hundreds of thousands of Christians.
“We fly to your patronage, O Holy Mother of God,” reads the prayer, found on a papyrus fragment in Egypt. “Despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.”
Photographer: Jim Davis | FC
Green, gold and brown leaves, and even live palm fronds, surround a statuette of the patron saint on the chancel at Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland.
In the 19th century, Pope Pius VII was imprisoned by Napoleon for nearly six years. When he was released, he declared May 24 as her feast day in gratitude.
Mary also was chosen patroness of the Salesian order by St. John Bosco, their founder. Bosco urged people to place their faith in Mary, “and you will see what miracles are.”
Bosco launched the Archconfraternity of Mary Help of Christians to promote devotion to her. He also founded a congregation of sisters as the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
St. John Vianney, namesake of the college seminary for the Archdiocese of Miami, offered his own advice about Mary. “If you invoke the Blessed Virgin when you are tempted,” he said, “she will come at once to your help, and Satan will leave you.”
Added St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, patron saint of immigrants: “If you are in danger, if your hearts are confused, turn to Mary. She is our comfort, our help.”
In South Florida, Mary Help of Christians Church was founded in 1989 as the archdiocese’s 104th parish. It quickly grew an ethnically diverse congregation, and many of its ministries continue to operate bilingually.
The congregants worshiped at first in portable school portable buildings, then built a parish center in 1996. Further land purchases led to founding of a preschool in 1999. An elementary school followed in 2000, eventually extending to eighth grade.
Photographer: Jim Davis | FC
An unusual alabaster statuette at Mary Help of Christians Church, Parkland, shows the extended Holy Family. Holding the baby Jesus are Mary and Joseph, while they are embraced in turn by Anne and Joachim, the traditional parents of Mary.
Much of the church’s land has been left largely forested, a result of studies by the parish’s Land Stewardship Committee. The group found the land was home to wildlife including foxes and tree frogs, as well as cypress trees more than 175 years old.
The church accordingly built its main driveway to skirt the area, rather than through it. Members also added footpaths and several outdoor chapels on the grounds. One of them is dedicated to St. Fiacre, the seventh century patron saint of gardening.
In keeping with its emphasis on creation care, Mary Help of Christians shuns the colorful stained or faceted glass of most churches. Instead, a clear glass wall behind the chancel allows a view of the wooded outdoors. Even statuettes of Mary and Joseph are framed in leafy murals.
Mary Help of Christians became a source of consolation in 2018 after a mass shooting at nearby Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Father Ireneusz Ekiert, parish administrator at the time, dedicated Stations of the Cross to the young victims.
The church also hosted several prayer services, including rosaries, for grieving families and schoolmates. And it still holds a memorial service and Adoration each Feb. 14, the anniversary of the shooting.
Other outreaches at Mary Help of Christians include men's and women's Emmaus groups, a St. Vincent De Paul Society, groups for youths and couples, a Knights of Columbus chapter and a Respect Life group. A benevolence ministry, called We Care at Mary, donates diapers, children's clothes, school supplies and other items.
And true to their parish's Marian name, the members take part in several regular rosary groups: a Rosary for Peace; one for Our Lady, Undoer of Knots; prayer for children; and a weekly outdoor rosary at dawn.
