Pope Leo XIV returned to the Sanctuary of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, Italy, on Monday, a place he visited shortly after his election. During the visit, he unveiled a fresco depicting him in prayer, which now adorns an upper cornice of the basilica.
This fresco marks Leo's devotion to the sanctuary, joining a tradition of past popes commemorated with portraits on its walls, dating back to Pope Urban VIII in 1630. Leo's visit to the sanctuary on May 10, 2025, was his first public outing as pope. The sanctuary holds particular significance for the Augustinian religious order, to which the pontiff belongs.
Managed by Augustinian friars, the sanctuary has been a pilgrimage site since the 15th century. Pope Leo XIII, a predecessor, elevated it to a minor basilica and expanded the adjacent convent in the early 1900s.
In his homily at the basilica, which commemorates the birth of Mary, Leo recalled his writings in the sanctuary's guest book during his 2025 visit. He expressed a "need and profound desire" to pray before the Madonna of Good Counsel, whom he described as having "accompanied me all my life with her maternal presence, with her wisdom and example of love for her son who is always the center of my faith."
The Vatican is increasing its activities as the summer lull concludes. Autumn conferences and audiences are being organized, and Pope Leo XIV is preparing for a trip to France at the end of the month, followed by visits to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru in November.