Saints Turning to Mary, Our Mother of Good Counsel 

Our 2026 Full of Grace Youth Journal theme is “Marian Titles.” We celebrate Mary throughout the year by reflecting on the many names that honor her love, protection, and intercession. April’s titles are Our Mother of Good Counsel, celebrated April 26, and Cause of Our Joy.

Let us also, when we are afflicted and in sorrow, go and seek Mary, who is called the Mother of mercy, the cause of our joy, the comfort of the afflicted. Let us go to this good Lady, who never lets anyone depart from her unconsoled and in sadness.
—Saint Alphonsus Liguori

We cannot know every answer. We want to be wise, we want the right words, and we want to provide sound, useful guidance to our children despite our own uncertainty. This is when we need Our Mother of Good Counsel.

The devotion to Mary as Mother of Good Counsel is rooted in the Gospels when Jesus gave Mary as St. John’s mother, and so to us as our mother, too. When a miraculous image of Mary and Jesus was discovered in an Italian chapel in 1467, suspended mid-air behind a statue, the devotion gained traction. Our Mother of Good Counsel is depicted in one of the oldest Marian images—cheek to cheek with the Christ Child, heads tilted toward one another, eyes gently locked on one another. The image is vulnerable, intimate, exuding a mutual reliance.

This is the Mary we want our children to know when they face those situations that are out of our wheelhouse. The perfect Mother. She is attentive, wise, and asks questions herself.

Young Saints Who Turned to Mary for Counsel

Throughout history, young saints have sought Mary’s good counsel in moments of uncertainty and crisis. These children and young adults are not distant figures of perfection from an ancient era. They struggled and faced immense pressures of their own. Within their struggles, they learned to turn toward their Mother in heaven before taking action. We encourage you to introduce your children to these saints this month, reading more about their lives and how they relied on Mary for sound counsel, taking heart in Our Lady’s abiding love for her children. 

St. Dominic Savio
Choirboys, juvenile delinquents, the falsely accused
Dominic relied on Mary’s her for guidance in resisting sin, growing in joy, and making moral choices. He sought the Holy Family on his death bed after a lifetime of asking that his heart be more like Mary’s.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Missions and missionaries, florists and gardeners, France, orphaned children, sufferers of terminal illness
As a child, Thérèse prayed before a statue of Our Lady, who smiled at her and healed her from her nervous tremors. She was the prototype for the Little Flower’s now famous “Little Way” to holiness through daily gestures of love, sacrifice, service, and trust in God. Thérèse turned to Mary throughout her short life.

St. Francisco & St. Jacinta Marto
Portuguese children, prisoners, captives, sick people, those ridiculed for their piety
Brother and sister Franciscio and Jacints shaped their sacrifices around what Mary asked when they encountered her as Our Lady of Fatima. Though others mocked them, their trust in Mary remained steadfast.

St. Bernadette Soubirous
Lourdes, poverty, illness, those suffering for their faith
When the beautiful Lady appeared to Bernadette at Lourdes, Bernadette listened attentively as Mary instructed her in prayer, penance, and action for herself and the people of Lourdes. 

St. Catherine Labouré
The Elderly, the infirm, the Miraculous Medal
Catherine spoke to Mary as a child speaks to her mother, experiencing Mary’s guidance with great humility in moments of confusion. Her apparitions led to the Miraculous Medal that so many of us wear today

And finally, St. José Sánchez del Río
Young people and Christians suffering for their faith
Our Patron at the Youth Guild was 14 years old when he was taken captive during the Cristero War. His courage was the fruit of faith formed in Marian devotion. Throughout his capture, he regularly prayed the Rosary and invoked Our Lady as his strength and protector. His final words: “¡Viva Cristo Rey! Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!” (“Long live Christ the King! Long live the Virgin of Guadalupe!”)

Practical Ways to Seek Good Counsel

Research these saints with your children, and then consider how we all might emulate them in our relationships with Mary. Some ideas include:

Asking Mary before reacting: Ask your children about a situation where pausing to seek Mary might have helped them find the peace needed make a decision. How might this pause have helped them gain clarity? Explore the value of creating space for action rather than reaction.

Deciding what to ask: Simplicity and specificity are key. Encourage your children not to ask Mary to be a crystal ball who can discern God’s will for them. Instead, seek her counsel in the smaller moments. Mimic the Little Flower: “How should I respond to this person today?” “How can I be honest but kind in this situation?” “Does this choice I am making respect God and my parents?”   

Pray one line: Sometimes keeping it shorter than the Hail Mary can be helpful for children. “Our Mother of Good Counsel, pray for me.” “Mary, help me choose well.” “Blessed Virgin Mary, help me to hear God today.” These prayers invite Mary to accompany our children in their decisions and keep holiness at the forefront of all of our minds.

A Gift to Our Children

Before any teacher, friend, priest, or saint, parents are a child’s very first role models. We can turn to Our Mother of Good Counsel alongside our children. When we encourage this kind of prayer model, we give children a gift that is, at the very least, two-fold.

First is the gift of our honesty. We know our limitations and are confident in the guidance of others, especially our Mother Most Holy, and do not give our children the impression that adults are infallible. 

Second is the gift of a bolstered spiritual life. In practicing this aspect of their prayer life, our children continue on the path to learning to release their need for control. With Mary’s help, they can achieve greater reliance on God and avoid the heavy pressure brought on by the illusion of total autonomy. It is a beautiful thing to help children learn that what we truly seek in our hearts, God will provide.

Pray together before bed: O Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, come to my assistance. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide me in my vocation, in all my decisions, and especially in [mention your intention]. I desire to do the will of the Father, through the Son, with the grace of the Holy Spirit. Intercede for me, O Mother. Amen.