Genazzano: Pope Leo XIV will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano on September 7, returning to a Marian shrine he visited privately just two days after his election as Pope.
The Pope is scheduled to celebrate Mass at 6 p.m. at the Augustinian shrine on the eve of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A painting showing Pope Leo praying before the image of Our Lady of Good Counsel will also be unveiled during the visit.
Genazzano is located about 40 kilometres from Rome. The town is home to the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel, whose origins go back to a small church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The church was entrusted to the Augustinian religious in the 14th century.
Pope Leo first visited the shrine as Pope on May 10, 2025, two days after his election. During that private visit, he met Augustinian friars and faithful gathered outside the basilica and expressed his desire to come to the shrine at the beginning of his new ministry.
The Pope has had a long connection with Our Lady of Good Counsel. He first visited the shrine as a young student in Rome in the early 1980s. He later returned regularly during his service as Prior General of the Augustinian Order, and subsequently as Bishop of Chiclayo and as a cardinal.
His most recent visit before becoming Pope was on April 25, 2024, for the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel. During his homily at the time, he encouraged the faithful to look to Mary as an example in promoting peace and reconciliation around the world.
On May 8, 2025, the day he was elected Pope, Leo also prayed before an image of Our Lady of Good Counsel in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace before appearing on the central loggia of St Peter's Basilica.
The shrine has a long history linked to the Augustinian Order. A church dedicated to Mary existed at the site as early as the 13th century. In 1356, the Colonna family, who were lords of the area, entrusted the pastoral care of the church to the Augustinian friars.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the church and adjoining convent were rebuilt and enlarged. An Augustinian tertiary widow named Petruccia gave all her possessions to support the work. Although she was criticised because she did not have enough money to complete the project, she continued to believe that the Blessed Virgin and Saint Augustine would help bring it to completion.
According to the shrine's tradition, on April 25, 1467, an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared on a wall of the church while construction was still underway. Two Albanian pilgrims later recognised it as the same image that had been venerated in Shkodër, Albania, before disappearing from that location.
The event drew large numbers of pilgrims to Genazzano. Reports of miracles and graces led to further donations, which helped complete the church and the Augustinian convent.
The shrine has also welcomed other Popes, including Urban VIII, Pius IX, John XXIII and John Paul II. Their images are displayed on the walls of the shrine's small chapel.
Father Ludovico Centra, rector of the shrine, said that the new painting of Pope Leo XIV praying before the image of Our Lady of Good Counsel will be unveiled during the Pope's September 7 visit.