Early in his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV visited the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel near Rome. The shrine is home to a famous image of the Virgin Mary that, according to Catholic tradition, appeared there under miraculous circumstances.
Early in his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV visited the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel near Rome. The shrine is home to a famous image of the Virgin Mary that, according to Catholic tradition, appeared there under miraculous circumstances.The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Counsel sits in Genazzano, Italy.
The basilica’s website sheds light on the origin of this miraculous image, saying,
“Prince Pietro Giordan Colonna, whose family had acquired lordship of the city, entrusted the church to the Augustinians in 1356. The notarial deed drawn up states that the church was a parish and was already called Santa Maria del Buon Consiglio. Over the years, the church fell into disrepair and the friars set about rebuilding the church. A wealthy widow named Petruccia di Nocera came to their support. To restore the church was the ambition of her life, and so strongly was she drawn to the undertaking that she felt inspired to sacrifice her home and moderate income to further this cause. The work ran into difficulty and the villagers mocked the efforts of Petruccia and the friars. While others might have felt daunted, Petruccia never once faltered in her hopes. She constantly reiterated her assurance that the work would be completed because Almighty God, through the intercession of Saint Augustine and the Blessed Virgin, would see fit to crown her feeble efforts with unforeseen success.” ….
