(Peru) When the faithful attend Sunday Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the city of Piura – Peru, especially during the feast of our “Morena de Oro” they see some men with an unusual dress, blue dress with a red coat. They guide the faithful inside the church during the liturgical celebration. These men are called “Knights of Our Lady of Perpetual Help”.
This group was born under the name of “Circulo de Jesús Obrero”. Then the uniform was different, blue trousers, white shirt and a blue bracelet with the image of the Virgin. This group was formed under the direction of Fr. Baldo, and years later, Fr Jose Ignacio Alemany Grau (now emeritus bishop of Chachapoyas) who became the Rector of the Shrine and decided to dedicate these men of God, to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Since then the name of the group was changed and was known as the “Knights of Our Mother of Perpetual Help”.
Now, as men consecrated to the Virgin Mary, they have a new mission, to take care of the image Mother of Perpetual Help and the shrine every Sunday, and especially during the Novena and Feast days. So the role of the Knights of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is to keep the order inside the shrine during the mass of Sunday and on public holidays. They work on the premises of the church, helping the elderly, maintaining order at the entrance and exit of the shrine and also during communion service.
Currently, the group has 35 members. The veterans in this group are over 40, including César Carrillo, Luis Cherres, Juan Rosado and Ángel Almestar. They, with a serious commitment, devote their lives to this beautiful Marian devotion of the Redemptorist Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. It is necessary to renew the membership to this group with new men who want to serve God through this commitment to our Heavenly Mother, and the invitation is open to all those who wish to belong to “The Knights of Our Lady of Perpetual Help” and serve the Mother of the Redeemer.
