| Our Lady of Good Counsel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Genazzano, Italy |
| Date | c. 1417-1431; 606-591 years ago |
| Type | fresco |
| Patronage | Albania, Missionary Sisters of Saint Peter Claver, Augustinian Province of Midwest US, Parañaque City, Philippines,Mother of Good Counsel Minor Seminary |
| Feast day | 26 April |
Our Lady of Good Counsel (Latin:Mater boni consilii) is atitle given to theBlessed Virgin Mary, after a painting said to be miraculous, now found in the thirteenth centuryAugustinian church atGenazzano, near Rome, Italy. Measuring 40 to 45 centimetres (16 to 18 in) the image is afresco executed on a thin layer of plaster no thicker than an egg shell. Over the centuries, devotions to Our Lady of the Good Counsel grew among saints and popes, to the extent that a reference to it was added to theLitany of Loreto and the devotion spread throughout the world. Her feast day is 26 April.
In the 5th century, during the reign of PopeSixtus III, the town ofGenazzano, about 48 kilometres (30 mi) south of Rome, had contributed a large portion of its revenue for the Roman basilica now known asSanta Maria Maggiore. In appreciation, a church, called Santa Maria, was built in Genazzano and was later entrusted to theAugustinian Order in 1356. The Genazzano church became a popular place of pilgrimage. Numerous cures were said to take place there. The Augustinian friars were invited to minister to the spiritual needs of the pilgrims. They continue to serve there to this day.[1]
According to tradition, the story is said to have begun in 1467. By then the church was in dire need of repair. A local widow, Petruccia, was dedicated to the restoration project, but ran out of funds before the task was completed.[2]
In the midst of the festivities for the feast of St Mark, the townsfolk suddenly heard "heavenly music." A mysterious cloud was then said to have descended on the unfinished wall of the parish church. In front of the people, the cloud dissipated and a beautifulfresco, no thicker than acarte-de-visite and no more than eighteen inches square, of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child was revealed.[3] It was widely believed that it had been miraculously transported from a church inScutari, Albania just prior to its invasion by the Ottomans.[4]
The picture of Our Lady was at first called "La Madonna del Paradiso" and now better known as "Madonna del Buon Consiglio" (Our Lady of Good Counsel).[3]
Such was the holy image's reputation thatPope Urban VIII made a "glittering" pilgrimage there in 1630, invoking the protection of the Queen of Heaven, as didPope Pius IX in 1864. On 17 November 1682,Pope Innocent XI had the picturesolemnly crowned.[4] Among her noted clients have been StAloysius Gonzaga, StAlphonsus Liguori, StJohn Bosco, and BlessedStephen Bellesini.
Art experts consulted during a restoration conducted between 1957 and 1959 suggest that the image of the Madonna was once part of a larger fresco that covered the wall and was subsequently covered over with plaster. They believe the fresco is likely the work of the early fifteenth century artistGentile da Fabriano, probably painted around the time ofPope Martin V (1417-1431).[5]
The Augustinian Order contributed to the spread of this devotion internationally. In 1753,Pope Benedict XIV established the Pious Union of Our Lady of Good Counsel.Pope Leo XIII, who was himself a member of the pious union, was deeply attached to this devotion.[6]
On 22 April 1903, Leo XIII included the invocation "Mater boni consilii" in theLitany of Loreto. In 1939, VenerablePope Pius XII placed his pontificate under the maternal care of Our Lady of Good Counsel and composed a prayer to her.[4][7]
Through the years, various institutions have been named in honor of Mary under the title of Our Lady of Good Counsel. These institutions include acollege,high schools, andchurches.
The feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel is celebrated on 26 April so that it does not interfere with that of St. Mark.
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The smallScapular of Our Lady of Good Counsel (the White Scapular) was presented by theHermits of St Augustine to PopeLeo XIII, who, on 19–21 December 1893, approved it and endowed it with indulgences in a Decree of the Congregation of Rites.
On the front panel of thesacramental (to be made of white wool) is the image of the fresco of Our Lady of Good Counsel, with the inscription, "Mater boni consilii [ora pro nobis]." On the second segment is found the papal coat-of-arms, which includes theTriple Tiara and theKeys of Heaven, with the words of Leo XIII: "Fili acquisce consiliis ejus" (Child, listen to her counsels).
Our Lady of Good Counsel is the Patroness of theMissionary Sisters of Saint Peter Claver,[2] the National Council of Catholic Women, and of theCatholic Women's League of Canada.
The"Midwest Augustinians" headquartered in Chicago have also adopted Our Lady of Good Counsel as their patroness, having named their Augustinian jurisdiction as the "Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel."
Essen Diocese in the GermanRuhr Area is under the patronage of Our Lady of Good Counsel; Essen Cathedral's statue of Mary is considered to be the oldest fully sculpted depiction of the Mother of God with the infant Jesus.[8]
For his first trip outside the Vatican, PopeLeo XIV chose to visit the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano. Pope Leo visited the shrine, which has been run by the Augustinians since 1200, on 10 May 2025 at around 4pm for a private visit. Other Popes have also visited the Mother of Good Counsel:John XXIII in 1959 andJohn Paul II in 1993.[9]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
