Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners and Comforter of the Afflicted

Which title of Mary speaks to you?

“Remember O Most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known, that anyone who fled to your protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.” These words open the Memorare, a prayer of the Church said since medieval times to petition the help of Our Lady in times of great need. The Memorare is one of my favorite prayers because its ask is one of both confidence and humility; it was ‘never known’ for our Holy Mother to not come to the help of her children here on earth, and later in the prayer, we acknowledge that we come before her ‘sinful and sorrowful’, a familiar disposition in my own life in times of particular worry and need. We are coming to the end of August, a month dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and are entering the daunting start of another busy school year at the University of Virginia. It is with these in mind that I want to share today two of my favorite titles of our Mother Mary: Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners and Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted, in hopes that the peace I find in petitioning Mary under these titles can help you in your present struggles and trials.

The Church, in her wisdom, bestows on Mary many titles: some describe her life and virtue, some associate her with certain apparitions and events, and others, like the two I write about today, reveal to us a particular way in which Mary intercedes for us with her Son, Jesus. As the Refuge of Sinners, Mary is a resting place for us in the moments when we feel too ashamed or weighed down by our sins and failings to come directly before Our Heavenly Father. Mary is our mother, and we are her children by virtue of being called to discipleship in Jesus Christ. In John 19:26, Jesus uses some of his final words while dying on the cross to establish this bond, saying to Mary “Woman, behold your son,” and to the beloved disciple, “Behold, your mother!”. Her heart is our place of refuge, it overflows with a maternal love that is persistently and deeply compassionate to the cries of her children, ready to surround us with her mantle in the depths of any failing. It is second only to the Love with which God Himself loves us, and as her children, we can humbly trust that she will bring our petitions and needs to her Son, made beautiful by her intercession.

Alongside immaculate, we know Mary’s heart to be sorrowful. At the presentation of the child Jesus in the temple, Simeon tells Mary “and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:35). She knew incredible sorrow, even watching her own Son’s passion and death on the cross. We can share our struggles and sorrows with the Blessed Mother, taking comfort and rest in her heart which deeply understands human sorrow. When I remember Mary as Comforter of the Afflicted, it makes any burden I face at that moment just a little bit lighter. So many of us carry in our hearts these burdens, especially as we may be facing a new year, an unknown or difficult situation, or a personal trial. When you find yourself in these moments, I offer you this reminder: Our Lady loves you and wants to wrap you in her mantle of motherly love, to hold you closely and securely in the midst of that storm. Like we confidently proclaim in the Memorare: It was never known that anyone who fled to her was left unaided.

Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners and Comforter of the Afflicted, Pray for us.


Hi! My name is Lily Bernero, I’m a third-year from Northern Virginia majoring in Public Policy and Leadership. My favorite saint is St. Maximillian Kolbe, and during the year I can usually be found rowing on the Rivanna, curating a new Spotify playlist, or passionately telling someone about my latest batch of home-brewed kombucha!