Full Breakdown
Pope Leo XIV Returns to Genazzano Sanctuary, Unveils New Fresco
9/8/2026, 1:11:26 AM
The Visit and New Fresco
On Monday, Pope Leo XIV travelled to the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in the medieval village of Genazzano, south of Rome. After greeting pilgrims who kissed his ring, he knelt before the main altar, visited the chapel that houses the revered Marian image, and presented a golden rose—a traditional papal gift. Before the evening Mass, a new fresco was unveiled on an upper cornice of the basilica, depicting the pope kneeling before the image of Our Lady of Good Counsel. The fresco joins a series of papal portraits that have adorned the sanctuary’s walls since Pope Urban VIII in 1630, including depictions of Pius IX, John XXIII and John Paul II.
Historical Significance of the Sanctuary
The shrine has been entrusted to the Augustinian Order since the 14th century and has attracted pilgrims for centuries. Pope Leo XIV’s predecessor, Pope Leo XIII, elevated the site to a minor basilica and expanded the adjoining convent in the early 1900s. The sanctuary’s importance to the current pontiff stems from his lifelong devotion to the Marian image; he entered the Augustinian Province of Chicago, where the shrine is the patron, before his ordination as a priest.
Leo XIV’s Reflections on the Marian Shrine
During his homily for the celebration of Mary’s birth, the pope recalled the words he wrote in the shrine’s guest book during his first papal visit on May 10 2025, just two days after his election.
Artistic Tribute: The Fresco
The newly unveiled fresco follows a long tradition of honoring papal visits through wall paintings. By placing his likeness among earlier pontiffs, the artwork visually links Leo XIV’s devotion to the sanctuary with centuries of papal pilgrimage. The fresco’s location on the upper cornice ensures it will be visible to all who enter the basilica, reinforcing the sanctuary’s role as a site of ongoing papal engagement.
Upcoming Papal Activities
With the summer lull ending, the Holy See’s schedule is filling. Pope Leo XIV is preparing for a trip to France at the end of the month, followed by a much-awaited journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in November. These itineraries signal a busy autumn of international audiences and diplomatic meetings.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Let your imagination run wild … paint in the depths of your soul a young woman who is most pure, most prudent, most beautiful, most devout, most humble, most gentle, full of every grace, rich in sanctity, adorned with all the virtues, embellished with all the charisms, absolutely pleasing to God.” — St. Thomas, of Villanova, a 16th-century Augustinian bishop and theologian — St. Thomas of Villanova, a 16th-century Augustinian bishop and theologian.
