Today, September 7, on the eve of the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, Pope Leo XIV is making one of the most significant Marian appearances of his pontificate by returning to the Basilica-Sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano. This is  no ordinary visit; it is the official return of the Bishop of Rome to a place to which he professes a deep and personal devotion.

The Pope’s connection to this historic church, located about fifty kilometers from Rome, dates back to the very beginning of his papacy.  Just two days after his election, on May 10, 2015, in what was his first private outing outside the Vatican walls, Leo XIV chose this sacred site to entrust his ministry and “ask for wisdom.”  That quiet visit now takes on an official and solemn dimension with his arrival in the Italian town.

Today’s liturgical celebrations reach their climax at 6:00 PM, when the Pope presides over the Holy Eucharist at the sanctuary, which has been cared for for centuries by the Order of Saint Augustine.  The event draws numerous faithful and religious to the miraculous and imposing image of Our Lady of Good Counsel, patroness of the Augustinians and deeply rooted in Albanian tradition.

Also, on the occasion of this special pastoral visit on September 7, the temple has planned to unveil a commemorative painting that immortalizes the image of the Pope praying before the Marian devotion, thus sealing the memory of a pontificate that repeatedly turns its gaze towards the protection of the Mother of Good Counsel.

You can follow the mass live at 6:00 PM Rome time on  Exaudi’s Facebook live .