Browse:Mother of Perpetual Help (Volume 1, entries 3021–3024)
Mother of Perpetual Help
Volume 1, entries 3021–3024. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → (3) SAINTS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 3021
[To bring back the murderer.] They go to the cemetery and pray to that headboard [head of the grave of the murdered person] lots of people, nine days, with a picture of Mother of Perpetual Help; and that person that done the murder, they'll come right straight back to where they done it, too.
(What graveyard do they go to?)
[For some reason my question misleads her.]
St. Roc's. They go down to St. Roc's Cemetery.
(They don't go to the dead man's grave?)
They go to the [grave of the] dead man, yes, that was killed; but plenty peo- ple don't know about the fresh eggs [buried in the dead man's hands to bring back murderer], and they go [with the picture] to where they bury that man. They bury him on his face, too, I suppose. [Burial face down also brings back murderer.] (Where do they do this praying to the Mother of Perpetual Help? Do they do that at the dead man's grave or at St. Roc's?)
[They do both.]
They go to St. Roc's and they carry that picture to the grave - that Saint [picture of] to the grave. And they goes out Melcamean[?] - it's back of town here, that's the chapel [of St. Roc where they pray], and then they go to the cemetery [where murdered man is buried] and put the head [saint's picture] on the headboard and pray to that, and that man'll [murderer will] come back.
(Do they go to the church first?)
They had to go to the church - the Catholic church, first, and [then] they go to the man's grave.
(What do they do there?)
Well, they go pray to this Mother of Perpetual Help and take - you know, you always have a small pitchure [of the saint], and they carry that with 'em and pray to 'um [her]; then, nine days, that man'll come back. You got to go nine mornin's and in nine days he'll come back.
(Where is this church they go to?)
It's called the chapel.
(Where is it?)
That's back of town. It's on Johnson and Eurata[?] Streets. St. Roc's cemetery is way down town, way cross town.
[I evidently ask, "Then, there is no chapel in St. Roc's Cemetery?"]
No, there's a chapel in St. Roc's, too. Here's a chapel back here where I told you, too.
Entry 3022
(What do they say about Mother of Perpetual Help? What is she supposed to be good for?) She gives yo' help tuh help yo' git a job. She gives yo' help tuh keep peace in yore home. She good tuh heal yo' when yore sick.
(What sort of candle do you burn to her for these things?)
Yo' burn a pink candle to the Mother of Perpetual Help.
Entry 3023
And the Mother of Perpetual Help, she opens the way, she gives you bread when you got children like I have - she opens the way for you to have suc- cess. Well, you give her a blue candle - that's for children. And you pray twice a day to her - at twelve o'clock sure and in the morning. And whatever you promise her when you get your wish, why you give her that.
Entry 3024
(A green candle is money? How do you do that?)
You see, you burn it at the same hours, six o'clock in the evening, especially in the morning [six] for success, and you burn it to Mother of Petry [Perpetual] Help. That's for luck. She helps you for work. [Thinking she had finished, I stop my machine and miss the first few of her continuing words.] [You buy pictures of the] saints and you have them blessed by the priest, and you have you a little altar in the house. You have any saint you have a prefer- ence to, you see. And if you have children, you git diff'rent saints for chil- dren. And if you want work, the Mother of Petry Help, she helps you - she opens the way. The Sacred Heart of Jesus, that's for children, and you got one burnin' in de home. And St. Peter he opens the way for you - he has the key and he opens the way for you.