You’ve heard the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the miraculous image imprinted on the tilma of St. Juan Diego. Perhaps you have visited it in Mexico City or know someone who has. But chances are that you don’t know the story of another miraculous image and title of Our Lady—that of Our Lady of Good Counsel.
The story takes us to Genazzano, Italy, a town not far from Rome. A church dedicated to Our Lady had been built in the fifth century. By 1467, it was in desperate need of repairs but the townspeople didn’t have enough money to finish the restoration of the church. That same year, a miracle happened.
On April 25, during the town’s celebration of the feast of St. Mark, the people of Genazzano heard beautiful music coming from heaven. They saw a mysterious cloud descend upon the church. When the cloud cleared, there was left behind a painting of the Mother of God holding her Son, Jesus, in her arms. The delicate painting is said to have been floating in the air and was no thicker than a piece of paper. Miraculous healings were reported almost immediately.
But it doesn’t stop there. As the story spread, two men arrived from Albania, fleeing their homeland to escape an invasion by the Turks. Before leaving home, they visited their church in Scutari and saw an image of the Blessed Mother surrounded by a cloud and lifted off the wall. The image matched the one that suddenly appeared in Italy, and it is widely believed to be the same image.
Word of the miracle reached Rome, and Pope Paul II sent some delegates to investigate the story. They found an empty place on the wall of the church in Scutari where an image of Our Lady had been venerated for hundreds of years. They also reported close to 200 miracles attributed to the image that had appeared in Genazzano.
In 1903, Pope Leo XIII added the title of Our Lady of Good Counsel to the Litany of Loreto. The image has survived to this day despite impossible odds. During World War II, the church was destroyed by bombs—the roof caved in and walls crumbled. The small, ancient icon survived as everything around it was reduced to rubble. The feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel is observed on April 26.
Today we ask you to support our mission to bring the Good News and hope of Christ to you, your community, and your country. We are listener-supported and rely on your generous support in order to continue this vital work. During our spring Pledge Drive, you have the opportunity to receive a beautiful set of Our Lady of Good Counsel bookends with your gift of $1200, or $100 a month for 12 months. These elegant alabaster bookends honor our Blessed Mother with her stunning image and a short prayer.
Pledge Drive Promotional $1200+ LEVEL
- Our Lady of Good Counsel Bookends.
These alabaster bookends honor our Blessed Mother under the title, “Our Lady of Good Counsel” with a short prayer. Keeping heavy books in line, these bookends both organize and decorate your home.
- The original artwork was painted in the 1800s by Franciscan friar and priest Pasquale Sarullo. This pair of bookends makes the perfect personal gift for those with a Marian devotion and who need to make important decisions.
- The bookends are made from stone-cast alabaster here in our shop in Steubenville, Ohio. Alabaster is a building and decorating material created from the mineral gypsum that has been used since the time of the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs. It boasts an attractive smooth finish.
- Each bookend measures roughly 6″ x 8″, including the 4″x 6″ inset image plaque, and is 3″ deep.
If you give to Relevant Radio at the $1200 Level or higher during this pledge drive, you will receive a pair of Our Lady of Good Counsel Bookends.
