Visit to Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel

For his first trip outside the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV chose to visit the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, just outside of Rome. On Saturday, 10 May, at around 4 p.m., Pope Leo made a private visit to the shrine, which has been run by the Augustinians since 1200.

The shrine is home to an ancient image of the Virgin Mary, which comes from Shkodër (Albania) and was much loved by Pope Leo XIII. Though he was never able to visit the shrine, Leo XIII did elevate it to the dignity of minor basilica in 1903. However, other Popes had visited the Mother of Good Counsel, including Pope Saint John XXIII in 1959 and Pope Saint John Paul II in 1993.

When Pope Leo XIV was a Cardinal, he had celebrated Mass at the shrine on 25 April 2024. In his homily on the occasion, the then-Cardinal Prevost expressed his devotion to the Virgin, urging the faithful to be inspired by Mary to spread peace and reconciliation in the world.

Pope Leo arrived in a Volkswagen multivan, seated in the front; he was greeted by a cheering crowd of hundreds of people gathered in the square or looking out of windows and balconies. Many shouted “Leo, Leo”, and the nearby streets filled up.

Entering the church, where he greeted the Augustinian religious, the Pope stopped to pray, first in front of the altar and then in front of the image of the Virgin. With those present, he recited John Paul II’s prayer to the Mother of Good Counsel. At the end, after saying a Hail Mary and singing the Salve Regina, the Pope addressed those who were in the church, greeting them and the people of Genazzano gathered outside: “I wanted so much to come here in these first days of the new Ministry of carrying out the mission of Successor of Peter that the Church has entrusted to me”.

And, recalling the visit he made after his election as Prior General of the Order of St Augustine, and his choice to “offer his life to the Church”, Leo XIV reiterated his “trust in the Mother of Good Counsel”, quoting the words addressed by Mary to the servants at the Wedding at Cana: “Do whatever he tells you”.

The Pope then held a private meeting with the Augustinian community.