From June 25 to 27, 2025, hundreds of faithful gathered at St. Patrick’s Parish in downtown Toronto to celebrate the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. The annual triduum of Masses leading up to the June 27 feast day drew worshippers from across the city, united in prayer, song, and reflection.

This year’s triduum was preached by Father Ako Trevor Walker, C.Ss.R., a Redemptorist missionary and Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Patrick parishes in Baltimore, Maryland. He also serves as Superior of the local Redemptorist community and is a member of the Baltimore Province’s Extraordinary Provincial Council.

Each evening featured the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, novena prayers, and homilies centered on the themes of Mary’s pilgrimages of faith, hope, and love. In one of his homilies, Fr. Walker reflected: “As pilgrims of love, every time we pray the Rosary we enter the school of love. With each Hail Mary, we learn to love Jesus and to love as He loves. Through Mary, Jesus teaches us how to love as we pray the mysteries of His life. As children of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, we should gaze at the icon with open hearts—freely approaching our Mother and telling her what is on our hearts, but most especially letting her speak to us.”

Music was provided by the Schola Cantorum of St. Patrick’s, under the direction of Dr. Robin Williams, who led the community in songs honouring Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

Fr. Walker is no stranger to the Redemptorists of Canada. In 2014, while still a seminarian, he appeared on an episode of DevotionsTV, speaking about Mary as the Mother of All. He shared: “The beauty of Mary is that she always points us to her Son, Jesus. Her desire is for us to know Him deeply and personally. She is not only Jesus’ mother but also the mother of all who suffer— the oppressed, the marginalized, and those pushed to the fringes because of poverty, health, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. I see her as my protector, covering me in her blue mantle. At no time and in no place does Mary leave me abandoned.”

Highlights of the 2025 triduum—including Fr. Walker’s reflections and music from the Schola Cantorum—are now available for viewing on www.redemptorist.tv.

In addition, the Province’s Communications Office released a three-part video reflection series for the feast featuring Frs. Thomas O’Rourke, David Louch, and Graham Hill. Their reflections on Mary as a model of hope, faith, and love were shared on the Facebook pages of the Canadian, Baltimore, and Denver Redemptorist Provinces, as well as those of the Archdioceses of Toronto and Moncton. The full series is available on the Province’s website and social media platforms.