Fresque originale
de Notre-Dame du Bon
Conseil de l'église de Genazzano (1356). L'image
est une fresque exécutée sur une fine couche de porcelaine pas
plus épaisse qu'une coquille d'œuf.
Our Lady of Good Counsel original
fresco from the church at Genazzano c. 1356. The image is a fresco executed on
a thin layer of porcelain no thicker than an egg shell.
Our Lady of Good Counsel ; Sanctuary Our Lady of Good Counsel (Genazzano)
NOTRE-DAME du BON CONSEIL
L'apparition de
Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil est si célèbre, Son image si répandue et si honorée
dans l'Église, qu'il convient de donner place à cette forme de dévotion.
La petite ville de
Gennazano, à dix lieues environ de Rome, sur les montagnes de la Sabine,
honora, dès le Ve siècle, la Sainte Vierge sous le vocable de Notre-Dame du Bon
Conseil.
Au XVe siècle, l'église
menaçait ruine. Une pieuse femme, nommée Pétruccia, entreprit de la
reconstruire, malgré ses quatre-vingts ans; elle y employa sa fortune, qui ne
suffit pas à l'achever. Pétruccia prédit que la Sainte Vierge achèverait
l'oeuvre.
Or, le 25 avril 1467, à
l'heure des vêpres, une céleste harmonie se fit entendre dans les airs, la
foule vit descendre une nuée brillante qui alla se reposer sur l'autel de la
chapelle de Saint-Blaise, par où avait commencé la restauration de l'église. Au
même moment, toutes les cloches du pays sonnèrent leurs plus joyeuses volées.
La nuée disparue, la foule émerveillée aperçut une image de Marie portant
l'Enfant Jésus, peinte sur enduit et se tenant au fond de l'autel, près du mur,
sans appui naturel.
Il fut dûment constaté
que cette peinture avait été transportée miraculeusement d'une église de
Scutari, ville d'Albanie. La Providence avait voulu la soustraire aux
profanations des Turcs, maîtres de ce pays, et l'envoyer comme récompense de la
foi de Pétruccia et des habitants de Gennazano.
L'histoire des merveilles
de tous genres accomplies, depuis ce temps, autour de l'image miraculeuse,
demanderait des volumes entiers. Souvent on a vu l'image changer d'aspect, et
les yeux de la Sainte Vierge prendre un air de vie exprimant la joie ou la
douleur. Que de maladies et d'infirmités guéries! Que de grâces spirituelles
obtenues!
Gennazano est toujours un
lieu de pèlerinage vénéré et très fréquenté, et beaucoup de pieux pèlerins même
étrangers à l'Italie, si le temps le leur permet, tiennent à visiter ce
sanctuaire béni. Les souverains Pontifes ont comblé d'indulgences la dévotion à
Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil, et Léon XIII a inséré dans les Litanies de la Sainte
Vierge le titre de Mère du Bon Conseil.
Abbé L. Jaud, Vie
des Saints pour tous les jours de l'année, Tours, Mame, 1950.
SOURCE : http://magnificat.ca/cal/fr/saints/notre-dame_du_bon_conseil.html
1.jpg)
Santuario
della Madonna del Buon Consiglio
Le
maître-autel avec l'icône de Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil. Sanctuaire
Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil de Genazzano, Genazzano
Sanctuary
Our Lady of Good Counsel (Genazzano) - Our Lady of Good
Counsel
Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil
Gennazano, est une petite
ville du Latium, à près de quarante kilomètres de Rome, où la Très Sainte
Vierge est honorée sous le vocable de Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil.
On est certain qu’une
petite église dédiée à la Madone existait déjà en ce lieu au Xème siècle. Mais
c’est en 1356, par un acte notarié qui attribue cette église aux religieux
augustiniens, que nous apprenons que l’église est paroissiale et qu’apparaît
aussi pour la première fois le vocable de Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil.
Dans la seconde moitié du
XVème siècle, une pieuse veuve du nom de Petruccia – tertiaire augustinienne –
donna tous ses biens pour que l’église, qui était en fort mauvais état, puisse
être agrandie, restaurée et embellie. Mais sa fortune fut rapidement engloutie
par les travaux sans qu’on puisse les achever. Le chantier fut interrompu et
Petruccia fut en butte à quelques sarcasmes de la part de la population qui lui
reprochait d’avoir vu trop grand. La vieille femme (elle était déjà
octogénaire) répondit simplement, sans perdre sa sérénité : « Mes enfants, ne
soyez pas inquiets car avant que je meure la Vierge Très Sainte et Saint
Augustin oeuvreront pour terminer l’église… »
Le 25 avril 1467, à
l’heure des vêpres, une nuée lumineuse se manifesta dans l’église tandis que
toutes les cloches de la ville se mettaient à sonner sans que personne ne les
eût mises en branle : lorsque la nuée se dissipa, elle laissa place, sur l’un
des murs de l’église, à une image de la Vierge à l’Enfant.
L’émoi fut grand dans la
population, et encore plus quand, en examinant l’image de la Madone, on se
rendit compte que – peinte a fresca sur un enduit – elle était comme «
suspendue », sans appui ni support naturel, en avant du mur.
Le fait fut dûment
constaté et il fut consigné de façon très officielle dans un document, avec les
miracles qui ne tardèrent pas à se produire (du 27 avril au 14 août 1467 un
notaire local en a répertorié 161, et l’on ne peut dénombrer les grâces
spirituelles qui se produisirent dès lors!).
Le Pape Paul II envoya
deux évêques se rendre compte de ces faits dont la notoriété s’était répandue
très rapidement et ils en attestèrent la réalité. Ainsi, comme Petruccia
l’avait annoncé, en raison de la renommée de ce miracle et de l’afflux des
pèlerins, de nombreuses offrandes permirent bientôt l’achèvement des travaux du
sanctuaire.
Ajoutons dès à présent
qu’il a été constaté encore très récemment et de manière très rigoureuse, que
la Sainte Image (qui mesure environ 39,5 cm x 44,4 cm) se trouve toujours en
avant de la paroi sur laquelle elle semble peinte : les hommes de science
chargés de l’examiner ont pu attester qu’ils ont fait passer depuis le haut
jusqu’en bas, entre le mur et la fresque, un fil très fin tendu et tenu de
chaque côté de l’image, sans que celui-ci ne rencontre aucun obstacle à sa
libre circulation!
Mais d’où provenait cette
image de la Madone?
Des pèlerins qui avaient
connu un sanctuaire de la Vierge situé à Scutari, en Albanie, reconnurent la
fresque et racontèrent qu’elle avait disparu de l’église où elle était vénérée,
ce qui fut effectivement constaté un peu plus tard.
On a pensé que la divine
Providence avait voulut soustraire cette image vénérée aux profanations et
destructions que les Turcs, alors maîtres de l’Albanie, multipliaient à cette
époque.
Les Souverains Pontifes
ont montré en tous temps une singulière vénération pour cette image miraculeuse
: Urbain VIII, le Bienheureux Pie IX, Jean XXIII et Jean-Paul II sont venus en
pèlerinage à ses pieds. Innocent XI et le chapitre de la Basilique Vaticane
firent couronner solennellement la Sainte Image. Benoît XIV approuva
l’institution de la Confrérie de Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil dans laquelle il se
fit inscrire. Paul IV approuva l’office propre de la fête de Notre-Dame du Bon
Conseil, et Léon XIII érigea le sanctuaire au rang de basilique et ajouta
l’invocation « Mater Boni Consilii » aux litanies de la Sainte Vierge.
Prière à Notre-Dame du
Bon Conseil :
O très glorieuse Vierge
Marie, choisie par le Conseil éternel pour être la Mère du Verbe Incarné, la
Trésorière des grâces divines et l’Avocate des pécheurs, moi, le plus indigne
de vos serviteurs, je recours à Vous, afin que Vous daigniez être mon guide et
mon conseil dans cette vallée de larmes. Obtenez-moi par le très précieux Sang
de votre divin Fils le pardon de mes péchés, le salut de mon âme et les moyens
nécessaires pour l’acquérir. Obtenez à la sainte Eglise le triomphe sur ses
ennemis et la propagation du règne de Jésus-Christ sur la terre.
Ainsi soit-il.
SOURCE : http://leblogdumesnil.unblog.fr/2008/04/24/92-de-limage-miraculeuse-de-notre-dame-du-bon-conseil/
.jpg)
Sanctuaire
Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil de Genazzano : le maître-autel avec la
balustrade.
PRIÈRES
1. O très glorieuse
Vierge Marie, choisie par le Conseil éternel pour être la Mère du Verbe
Incarné, Trésorière des grâces divines et Avocate des pécheurs, moi, le plus
indigne de vos serviteurs, je recours à Vous, afin que Vous daigniez être mon
guide et mon conseil dans cette vallée de larmes. Obtenez-moi par le très
précieux Sang de votre divin Fils le pardon de mes péchés, le salut de mon âme
et les moyens nécessaires pour l'acquérir. Obtenez à la sainte Eglise le
triomphe sur ses ennemis et la propagation du règne de Jésus Christ sur la
terre. Amen.
2. Ô vrai trésor de vie et fleuve inépuisable de grâce divine, grande Reine des cieux, très sainte Marie, vous qui par vos vertus ineffables avez plu aux yeux de Dieu et mérité de concevoir dans votre sein virginal l'Auteur même de la vie de la grâce, Jésus-Christ; ô vous, Mère de l'Homme-Dieu et Mère de l'humanité rachetée, Mère aussi de grâce et de vie, de miséricorde et de pardon, tournez vers moi votre regard maternel; jetez un œil de compassion sur mes nombreuses misères spirituelles et corporelles; élevez-moi à l'état de parfaite amitié avec Dieu; et obtenez-moi le don de la persévérance finale. Et puisque votre prière est toute-puissante auprès du Seigneur, ô Marie, permettez que malgré ma misère je vous choisisse pour ma patronne spéciale. Avec l'aide de votre très puissante intercession, je suis sûr d'obtenir de votre divin Fils toutes les grâces qui me sont nécessaires pour servir Dieu fidèlement par les œuvres spirituelles et corporelles de miséricorde. Vous vous montrerez ainsi envers moi telle que vous êtes, la Mère de la divine grâce, et moi, après avoir vécu saintement sur la terre en m'aidant des grâces que vous m'avez obtenues, j'aurai le bonheur de vous louer éternellement dans le Ciel. Amen.
SOURCE : http://notredamedesneiges.over-blog.com/article-18639786.html
Scutari : Notre Dame du Bon Conseil
Ce sanctuaire a des origines lointaines, remontant
jusqu’au VI° siècle. Une fresque y avait était peinte, représentant la Vierge à
l’enfant. Une image pleine de douceur.
Sous le joug de la persécution
Au XV° siècle les Turcs musulmans envahirent le pays
en s’opposant à la foi chrétienne.
Georges Castriota Scanderbeg, se confia à la
protection de Notre Dame de Scutari et a tenu tête aux envahisseurs pendant 25
ans, on le surnomma l’athlète du Christ.
Scutari tomba aux mains des musulmans en 1467 et les Albanais eurent le choix
entre devenir esclave ou partir en exil.
Le fils de Scanderbed, don Giovanni, accompagna
les exilés
dans leur traversée de la mer Adriatique. C’est dans ce contexte que le 25
avril 1467 l’image de Marie de Scutari, Mère du Bon conseil,
disparut de l’église et réapparut dans l’église en construction des pères
augustiniens à Genazzano, près de Rome.
Certains évoquent un miracle,
mais il est plus vraisemblable que l’image ait été transportée par des réfugiés
chrétiens : l’icône de la Vierge Marie
a accompagné leur exil.
Le fait est qu’en présence de cette image beaucoup de
miracles ont eu lieu. C’est pourquoi on fit une reproduction de l’image à
Genève, au Mont Cassin et à Frosinone, puis à Madrid, à New York et ailleurs…
cf. Mikel Prennushi, La storia di un popolo affidata
alla Madonna del Buon consiglio, in "L’Osservatore Romano", sabato 30
gennaio 1993, p. 7.
Une église qui renaît
En 1854, l’année de la proclamation du dogme de
l’Immaculée conception,
les catholiques albanais et Mgr Topìc organisèrent une procession à Scutari et,
sous les regards des Turcs, chantèrent les louanges de la Toute .
En 1895, les évêques albanais proclamèrent Notre Dame
du bon conseil « protectrice
de toute l’Albanie » et fêtée le 25 avril.
L’indépendance de l’Albanie a été retrouvée en 1912.
Fleurirent alors les congrégations mariales, notamment
les filles de Marie.
La protection de Notre Dame fut très sensible durant
le bombardement de Scutari le 12 mars 1913 : les dommages furent très
faibles, étonnamment faibles, alors que 35000 projectiles étaient tombés sur la
ville.
En 1917, on reconstruisit l’église Notre Dame du
Bon conseil à
Scutari, précisément là où en 1467 était l’image de Notre Dame du Bon conseil avant
d’être emportée à Genazzano en Italie.
L’époque communiste et le temps des martyrs
Le 11 février 1943, Mgr Prennushi, voyant le
communisme aux portes de l’Albanie, consacra la nation au cœur Immaculé
de Marie.
Le communisme advint en 1945, avec l’athéisme le plus
pur et dur. Il était interdit d’appeler une fille "Marie", ou
"Anne", mais il fallait l’appeler "étoile blanche" ou
«"neige de décembre".
En 1967, sous l’enthousiasme de la révolution
culturelle chinoise, ceux qui résistaient encore à l’athéisme étaient éliminés
par le dictateur Enver Hoxha, le clergé fut torturé ou fusillé. Le sanctuaire
de Notre Dame du Bon Conseil fut
rasé. Les églises et les mosquées furent transformées en écuries ou en
magasins.
Mais cette victoire du
communisme athée était bien éphémère :
il tomba le 4 novembre 1990, et les catholiques rebâtirent leurs églises.
Jean Paul II
est allé le 22 avril 1993, au sanctuaire de Notre Dame du Bon conseil à
Genazzaro (Italie), avant de se rendre le 25 avril 1993 à Scutari (Albanie)
pour bénir la première pierre de
la reconstruction du sanctuaire de Notre Dame du Bon Conseil,
l’église « Zoja e Shkodres ».
Tous les Albanais étaient côte à côte, les
catholiques, les orthodoxes et les musulmans, donnant l’exemple d’une
coexistence pacifique.
Extraits de Attilio GALLI, Madre della Chiesa nei
cinque continenti, edizioni Segno, 1996, p. 15-21.
Also
known as
La Madonna del Paradiso
Madonna del Buon
Consiglio
Memorial
25 April at
Genazzano
Profile
Records dating from the
reign of Paul
II relate that the picture of Our Lady,
at first called La Madonna del Paradiso and now better known as Madonna
del Buon Consiglio, appeared at Genazzano, Italy,
a town about twenty-five miles southeast of Rome,
on 25
April 1467,
in the old church of Santa Maria, which had been under the care of Augustinians since 1356.
The venerated icon itself,
which is drawn on a scale of wall-plaster a little thicker than a business
card, was observed to hang suspended in the air without support; early
tradition says that one could pass a thread around the image without touching
it. Devotion to Our Lady in
Santa Maria sprang up at once. Pilgrims began
to pour in, miracles began
and continue at the shrine.
In July 1467, Pope Paul deputed
two bishops to
investigate the alleged wonder-working image; no copy of their report is known
to have survived. Devotion to Our Lady increased.
In 1630, Pope Urban
VIII made a pilgrimage to
Genazzano, as did Pope Blessed Pius
IX in 1864.
On 17
November 1682 Pope Blessed Innocent
XI had the picture crowned with gold by the Vatican Basilica. In 1727 Pope Benedict
XIII granted the clergy of Genazzano an Office and Mass of Our Lady for 25 April,
the anniversary of the apparition, elsewhere the feast being
kept a day later so as not to conflict with that of Saint Mark
the Evangelist. On 2 July 1753 Pope Benedict
XIV approved the Pious Union of Our Lady of Good Counsel for
the faithful at large, and himself enrolled therein as its pioneer
member; Pope Pius
IX and Pope Leo XIII were
both later members. On 18
December 1779, Pope Pius
VI, while re-approving devotion to Our Lady, granted
all Augustinians an
Office with hymns, lessons, prayer and Mass proper
of double-major rite; with a plenary indulgence also for the faithful, to
which Pope Pius
VIII added another for visitors to the shrine. On 18
December 1884, Pope Leo
XIII approved of a new Office and Mass of
second-class rite for all Augustinians,
while on 17 March 1903, he elevated
the church of Santa Maria – one of the four parish churches in tiny Genazzano –
to the rank of minor basilica.
On 22
April 1903 he authorized
the insertion in the Litany of Loreto of the invocation Mater
Boni Consillii to follow that of Mater Admirabilis. The same pontiff on 21
December 1893 had
sanctioned the use of the White Scapular of Our Lady of Good Counsel for
the faithful.
Catholic
Women’s League of Canada
Missionary
Sisters of Saint Peter Claver
Albania (proclaimed
on 15
May 1915 by Pope Benedict
XV)
Sandburst,
Victoria, diocese of
Serroni, Contursi
Terme, Italy
Additional
Information
Scapular
of the Mother of Good Counsel
books
Oxford Dictionary of Saints, by David Hugh Farmer
other
sites in english
images
video
fonti
in italiano
MLA
Citation
“Our Lady of Good
Counsel“. CatholicSaints.Info. 8 June 2024. Web. 15 September 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/our-lady-of-good-counsel/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/our-lady-of-good-counsel/
MATER
BONI CONSILII, MOTHER OF GOOD COUNSEL, PRAY FOR US!
Counsel and equity is
mine (Prov 8, 14)
Her thoughts are most
vast than the sea, and her counsels more deep than the great ocean (Ecclus
24:3)
She is easily seen by
those that love her, and is found by them that seek her (Wisd 6:13)
Although good counsel has
always been necessary, and Our Lady has for many centuries been invoked and
honoured by the faithful as the Mother of Good Counsel, it has been reserved
for the twentieth century to see that title added by the Supreme Pastor of the
universal Church to the Litany so dear to every Catholic heart. It is perhaps
because of evil counsels, and wrong views, and the spirit of worldliness are
everywhere prevalent, that our Lady is put before us as a good and wise
counselor, to whom it would be well to have recourse before settling any grave
and weighty matter; that we may ascertain what are her thoughts on the
subject, "for her thoughts are more vast than the sea," and
her knowledge of things, past, present and to come, far exceeds ours. If we
only ask her, she will help us to avoid dangers and point out to us hidden
rocks on which our vessel would surely founder unless we took this or that
precaution. We know there is plenty of advice to be had in this world. People
give it right and left, and often on matters they but little understand. The
emissaries of Satan are ever on the outlook to lead the unwary into dangerous
paths, and our own self-reliance and natural impetuosity make us
impatient of seeking the opinions of the wise and experienced, which perhaps a
secret prompting tells us would not be altogether in accordance with our
wishes. And so we rush on heedlessly, taking the advice only of those whose
views square with our own, and who perhaps are only flattering us, not caring
what may result from our course of action, or even urging us on to it with a
secret view to their own advantage in some way. How many lives have been
wrecked and prospects ruined, homes rendered miserable through acting
precipitately and not asking counsel! Nor must we who are Catholics, professing
to place things eternal before those merely temporal, be satisfied always with
seeking the advice of the worldly-wise, of the 'children of this
generation,' as our Lord called them, as if to draw attention to their
looking only to what is to their advantage during this mortal life. We must
strive to see what will be best for our eternal interests; we must not only be
anxious to have clever advice, but that it be good and sound before God. So let
us have recourse to our sweet Mother of Good Counsel, whose divine Son, the
Infinite Wisdom, has His little arms twined round her neck, and His mouth
placed close to her ear, ready to whisper the words that she will pass on to
her trustful clients who look to her for guidance in their affairs, whether
spiritual or temporal. Not only is she always ready to receive those who need
her, but we learn in the book of Wisdom that "she goeth about seeking
such as are worthy of her," such, that is, who are not too headstrong
and self-willed to be counselled and advised, and "she sheweth
herself to them cheerfully in the ways." (Wisd 6) "He that
considereth her ways in his heart, and hath understanding in her secrets, who
goeth after as one that traceth and stayeth in her ways...shall rest in her
glory."(Ecclus 14).
Yet, even those who are
well established in the ways of God, those already possessed of spiritual
understanding, feel their need of our Lady of Good Counsel. For those so
enlightened as to be always sure which of many good things is the best?
Who is not at times puzzled as to which of two courses it would be better and
safer to pursue? Let such have recourse to our Lady and say: "Good
counsel give to me, Mother; tell me what I am to do." She is our Lady
of Light, the spouse of the Holy Ghost, one of whose seven gifts is that which
we are seeking. Those especially who have themselves to guide and advise others
have, more than any, need of humble, childlike prayer to our blessed Mother
under the title we are considering, and in this the supreme Pontiffs have again
and again set a striking example. The gifts and privileges granted by them to
the Sanctuary of the Madonna at
Genezzano are sufficient testimony of this. And were we to go no
further back in history than to our two illustrious Popes, we should find in
their lives touching proofs of the earnestness with which they sought light and
guidance in their responsible office at the feet of our Lady of Good Counsel. Pius
IX, following in this the footsteps of his predecessors, used to gather his
household daily round her picture for the devotions of the month of May, and
one of the last acts of the reign of our late holy Father was to add the title
he so loved to the universally used Litany of Loreto. Let us imitate this
spirit of confidence in Mary, and let us remember what is written in
Ecclesiasticus: "He that lodgeth near her house, and fastening a pin
in her walls shall set up his tent nigh unto her, where good things shall rest
in his lodgings for ever. He shall set his children under her shelter and shall
lodge under her branches: he shall be protected under her covering from the
heat and shall rest in her glory."(Ecclus 14) Yes, Mother mine, that
is where I would fain dwell, close to thee, so that at all times thou canst
counsel and advise me, and thus in the passage through life i may act with
wisdom, and not miss the "good things" in the home eternal.
Mother of Good Counsel,
pray for us.
SOURCE : https://devotionstoourladyofmtcarmel.blogspot.com/2010/04/mater-boni-consilii-mother-of-good.html
.JPG)
Scultura Lignea Madonna del Buon Consiglio - San Benedetto Ullano, Cosenza
Feast of Our Lady of Good
Counsel
Records dating from the
reign of Paul II (1464-71)
relate that the picture of Our Lady, at first
called "La Madonna del Paradiso" and now better known as
"Madonna del Buon Consiglio", appeared at Genazzano, a town about
twenty-five miles southeast of Rome, on St. Mark's Day,
25 April, 1467, in the old church of Santa Maria, which had
been under the care of Augustinians since
1356. The venerated icon
itself, which is drawn on a thin scale of wall-plaster little thicker than a
visiting-card, was observed to hang suspended in the air without the slightest
apparent support; thus early tradition, which furthermore tells how one might
have passed a thread around the image without touching it. At once devotion to Our Lady in
Santa Maria sprang up; pilgrim-bands began to resort thither; while miracles in
ever-increasing numbers, of which a register was opened two days after the
event, were wrought, as they still continue to be, at the shrine. In July
following, Pope Paul deputed
two bishops to
investigate the alleged wonder-working image. Their report, however, is not
known to be extant. The cult of Our Lady increased.
In 1630 Urban VIII himself
went to Genazzano on a pilgrimage, as did Pius IX in 1864. On
17 November, 1682, Innocent
XI had the picture crowned with gold
by the Vatican
Basilica. In 1727 Benedict
XIII granted the clergy of Genazzano
an Office and Mass of Our Lady for 25
April, anniversary of the apparition, elsewhere
the feast being
kept a day later so as not to conflict with that of St. Mark the Evangelist.
On 2 July, 1753, Benedict
XIV approved of the Pious Union of Our Lady of Good Counsel for
the faithful at
large, and was himself enrolled therein as its pioneer member; Pius IX was a
member, and also Leo
XIII. On 18 December, 1779, Pius VI, while
re-approving the cult of Our Lady, granted
all Augustinians an Office with hymns, lessons, prayer and Mass proper of
double-major rite; with a plenary indulgence also for
the faithful, to
which Pius VIII added
another for visitors to the shrine. On 18 December, 1884, Leo XIII approved
of a new Office and Mass of
second-class rite for all Augustinians, while on
17 March, 1903, he elevated the church of Santa Maria — one
of the four parish churches
at Genazzano — to the rank of minor basilica; and, on 22
April following, authorized the insertion in the Litany of Loreto of
the invocation "Mater Boni Consillii" to follow that of "Mater
Admirabilis". The same pontiff, ten years earlier (21 December, 1893) had
sanctioned the use of the White Scapular of Our
Lady of Good Counsel for the faithful. In the United States there
are many churches and
institutions in honour of
Our Lady of Good Counsel.
Sources
NORTHCOTE, Celebrated
Sanctuaries (Philadelphia, 1868); DILLON, The Virgin Mother of Good Counsel
(Rome, 1884); BENNETT, Our Lady of Good Counsel in Gennazzano (New York, 1888);
GOUGH, Our Lady of Good Counsel (London, 1894); VANTELLI, Cenni Storici. . .di
Genazzano (Roma, 1839); BUGNANNO, Della Immagine di Maria SSa. . .memorie
storiche (Naples, 1874); PIFFERI, Relazione. . .del Santuario (Roma, 1903); DE
ORIGIO, Istoriche notizie della prodigiosa Apparizione (n.p.n.d.).
Middleton,
Thomas. "Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel." The Catholic
Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton
Company, 1911. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11361a.htm>.
Transcription. This
article was transcribed for New Advent by Michael T. Barrett. Dedicated to
Our Lady of Good Counsel.
Ecclesiastical
approbation. Nihil Obstat. February 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D.,
Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2023 by Kevin Knight.
Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11361a.htm
Rattenberg
(Tyrol). Saint Augustine church - Altar of Our Lady of Good Counsel ( 1761 ).
Rattenberg
(Tirol). Augustinerkirche - Altar Unserer Lieben Frau zum Guten Rat ( 1761 ).
Rattenberg
(Tyrol). Saint Augustine church - Altar of Our Lady of Good Counsel: Pilgrims
on their way to Gennazano ( 1800 ) by F.Nißl.
Rattenberg
(Tirol). Augustinerkirche - Altar Unserer Lieben Frau zum Guten Rat: Pilger auf
dem Weg nach Gennazano ( 1800 ) von F.Nißl.
Our
Lady of Good Counsel by Johann Michael Greiter (about 1761); interior of the
Saint Augustine church inside the Augustiner museum, Rattenberg, Austria
Our Lady of Good Counsel
Apr 26, 2013 /
Written by: America
Needs Fatima
Feast April 26
Miraculous Fresco
This is the story of an
eggshell-thin fresco of Our Lady which flew all the way from Albania… One day,
centuries ago, it descended on ancient Genazzano, a charming town on a hill
thirty miles south of Rome.
Because of its proximity
to Rome, the city was chosen by many patricians and imperial courtiers as a
site for their country villas. The vast gardens surrounding these villas often
served as the stage for perverse feasts, pagan games and heathen rituals in honor
of the gods to whom the Romans attributed the fertility of their fields.
One of these celebrations
was held every April 25 in honor of the goddess Flora or Venus. For this event,
people of all social classes—freemen and slaves, patricians and plebeians—gathered
together for a great feast. This practice gradually dissolved and the temples
fell into ruins as the life-giving breath of Christianity regenerated the
peoples of Europe.
Shrine dedicated to Our
Lady of Good Counsel
In the quaint medieval
town of Genazzano, on a side altar of the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel,
there is a small image of the Blessed Virgin holding her infant Son. The Child,
in His turn, lovingly encircles Mary's neck with His arm, inclining her head
towards Himself in a gentle and intimate embrace.
In the third century, an
order was given to build a shrine dedicated to the Mother of God under the
tender invocation of Mother of Good Counsel on the ruins of the Roman temples.
As the years went by, the
city became more populous and the shrine grew in fame. During the Middle Ages,
the Franciscans and the Augustinians founded monasteries nearby. With the
passing of years, the primitive temple erected in honor of the Mother of Good
Counsel began to show signs of disrepair. Moreover, as the shrine was small,
the faithful built larger and richer churches for their solemn functions.
In 1356, about a century
before the appearance of the miraculous painting that would introduce Genazzano
into the annals of marvels in the Church, Prince Pietro Giordan Colonna, whose
family had acquired lordship of the city, assigned the most ancient church of
the city and its parish to the care of the Hermits of St. Augustine.
The faithful would
thereby have the necessary pastoral assistance, and repairs could be made on
the old church.
Although the prayers of
the faithful intensified, financial difficulties prevented the necessary and
urgent restoration of the ancient temple. But the Mother who gives wise counsel
in every circumstance and attentively provides for the necessities of men chose
a Third Order Augustinian, Petruccia de Nocera, to carry out a supernatural
prodigy that would bring about the much-desired restoration.
Petruccia had been left a
modest fortune following the death of her husband in 1436. Living alone, she
dedicated most of her time to prayer and services in the church of the Mother
of Good Counsel. It grieved her to see the deplorable state of the sacred premises,
and she prayed fervently that they would be restored.
Finally, she resolved to
take the initiative. After obtaining permission from the friars, she donated
her goods to initiate the restoration in the hope that others would help
complete it once it was commenced.
A plan was drawn up for
the building of a magnificent church. However, once that arduous undertaking
had begun, Petruccia, who was already eighty years old, found that her generous
offering was scarcely enough to complete the first phase of the new
construction. To make matters worse, no one came forth to help.
To her dismay, the
building had hardly risen three feet when construction came to a halt due to
lack of resources. Her friends and neighbors began to ridicule her, and
detractors accused her of imprudence. Others severely reprimanded her in
public.
To all of them she would
say: "My dear children, do not put too much importance on this apparent
misfortune. I assure you that before my death the Blessed Virgin and our holy
father Augustine will finish the church begun by me."
On April 25, 1467, the
feast day of the city's patron, Saint Mark, a solemn celebration began with
Mass. It was Saturday, and the crowd began to gather in front of the church of
the Mother of Good Counsel. The only discrepant note in the celebration was the
unfinished work of Petruccia.
At about four in the
afternoon, everyone heard the chords of a beautiful melody that seemed to come
from heaven. The people looked up toward the towers of the churches and saw a
white cloud that shone with a thousand luminous rays; it gradually neared the
stupefied crowd to the sound of an exceptionally beautiful melody.
The cloud descended on
the church of the Mother of Good Counsel and poised over the wall of the
unfinished chapel of Saint Biagio, which Petruccia had started.
Icon of Our Lady of Good
Counsel
Suddenly, the bells of
the old tower began to ring by themselves, and the other bells of the town rang
miraculously in unison. The rays that emanated from the little cloud faded
away, and the cloud itself gradually vanished, revealing a beautiful object to
the enchanted gaze of the spectators.
It was a painting that
represented Our Lady tenderly holding her Divine Son in her arms. Almost
immediately, the Virgin Mary began to cure the sick and grant countless
consolations, the memory of which was recorded for posterity by the local
ecclesiastical authority.
The news of the painting
and its miracles spread throughout the province and beyond, attracting
multitudes. Some cities formed enthusiastic processions to see the picture that
the people called the Madonna of Paradise because of its celestial entrance into
the city. Numerous alms were donated as an answer to the unwavering confidence
that Our Lady had inspired in Petruccia.
Amidst the general
enthusiasm caused by the painting, Our Lady wished to divulge the true origin
of the marvelous fresco to her devotees. Two foreigners named Giorgio and De
Sclavis entered the city among a group of pilgrims that had come from Rome.
They wore strange clothes
and spoke a foreign tongue, saying they had arrived in Rome earlier that year
from Albania. While most people had refused to believe their story, it had a
special significance for the inhabitants of Genazzano.
Albania
January of 1467 saw the
death of the last great Albanian leader, George Castriota, better known as
Scanderbeg. Raised by an Albanian chief, he placed himself at the head of his
own people.
Subsequently, Scanderbeg
inflicted stunning defeats on the Turkish army and occupied fortresses all over
Albania.
With Scanderbeg’s death,
the Turkish army, finally free from the Fulminating Lion of War, poured into
Albania, occupying all its fortresses, cities and provinces with the exception of
Scutari, in the north of the country.
However, the city's
capacity to resist was limited, and its capture was expected at any moment.
With its fall, Christian Albania would be defeated. Faced with this prospect,
those who wished to practice their faith in Christian lands began a sad exodus.
Giorgio and De Sclavis also studied the possibility of fleeing, but something
kept them in Scutari, where there was a small church, considered the shrine of
the whole Albanian kingdom.
In this church the
faithful venerated a picture of Our Lady which had mysteriously descended from
the heavens two hundred years before.
According to tradition,
it had come from the east. Having poured out innumerable graces over the whole
population, its church became the principal center of pilgrimage in Albania.
Scanderbeg himself had visited this shrine more than once to ardently ask for
victory in battle. Now the shrine was threatened with imminent destruction and
profanation.
The two Albanians were
torn by the idea of leaving the great treasure of Albania in the hands of the
enemy in order to flee the Turkish terror. In their perplexity, they went to
the old church to ask their Blessed Mother for the good counsel they needed.
That night, the Consoler
of the Afflicted inspired both of them in their sleep. She commanded them to
prepare to leave their country, which they would never see again. She added
that the miraculous fresco was also going to leave Scutari for another country
to escape profanation at the hands of the Turks. Finally, she ordered them to
follow the painting wherever it went.
The next morning, the two
friends went to the shrine. At a certain moment they saw the picture detach
itself from the wall on which it had hung for two centuries. Leaving its niche,
it hovered for a moment and was then suddenly wrapped in a white cloud through
which the image continued to be visible.
The Flying Icon
The pilgrim painting left
the church and the environs of Scutari. It traveled slowly through the air at a
considerable altitude and advanced in the direction of the Adriatic Sea at a
speed that allowed the two walkers to follow; after covering some twenty-four
miles, they reached the coast.
With unbounded
confidence, Giorgio and De Scalvis walked on the waves of the Adriatic Sea.
Without stopping, the
picture left the land and advanced over the waters while the faithful Giorgio
and De Sclavis continued to follow, walking on the waves much like their Divine
Master had done on Lake Genesareth. When night would fall, the mysterious
cloud, which had protected them with its shade from the heat of the sun during
the day, guided them by night with light, like the column of fire in the desert
that guided the Jews in their exodus from Egypt.
They traveled day and
night until they reached the Italian coast. There, they continued following the
miraculous picture, climbing mountains, fording rivers and passing through
valleys. Finally, they reached the vast plain of Lazio from where they could see
the towers and domes of Rome. Upon reaching the gates of the city, the cloud
suddenly disappeared before their disappointed eyes.
Giorgio and De Sclavis
began to search the city, going from church to church asking if the painting
had descended there. All their attempts to find the painting failed, and the
Romans incredulously regarded the two foreigners and their strange tale.
Shortly thereafter,
amazing news came to Rome: a picture of Our Lady had appeared in the skies of
Genazzano to the sound of beautiful music and had come to rest over the wall of
a church that was being rebuilt. The two Albanians rushed to find their
country's beloved treasure miraculously suspended in the air next to the wall
of the chapel where it remains to this day.
Although some inhabitants
found the strangers' story difficult to believe, careful investigation later
proved that the two were telling the truth and that the image was indeed the
same one that graced the shrine in Scutari.
Invocation of Mother of
Good Counsel
Thus Mary Most Holy, with
the humble participation of a pious Third Order Augustinian on one side of the
Adriatic and two faithful Albanians on the other, transported her mysterious
fresco from the unhappy and unfortunate Albania to a little city very close to
the heart of Christendom. Beginning her historic journey from that small
Albanian shrine, which she had not chosen by chance, she traveled across the
sea to pour on the world a new torrent of graces under the invocation of Mother
of Good Counsel.
This special invocation
of Our Lady of Good Counsel of Genazzano is for those who are searching for
good advice. Her feast day is on April 26.
Pray:
Novena
& Litany to Our Lady of Good Counsel
SOURCE : https://americaneedsfatima.org/articles/our-lady-of-good-counsel
Hinterglasbild,
Maria vom guten Rat, Werkstatt Gege, Seehausen (Oberbayern), 2. Drittel 19. Jh.
New
Catholic Dictionary – Our Lady of Good Counsel
Article
A title given to the
miraculous picture of the Madonna at Genazzano, honored particularly in the
Order of Saint Augustine. The devotion arose from the legend that the Madonna
of Genazzano was miraculously transported from Albania into Italy,
accompanying across the Adriatic two Christians who fled from the Muslim
invasion. It rested in the Augustinian Church, 1467. The feast was instituted
by Benedict XIII in 1727, but is not in the universal calendar. Pope Leo XIII
added the title “Mother of Good Counsel” to the Litany of Loreto.
MLA
Citation
“Our Lady of Good
Counsel”. New Catholic Dictionary. CatholicSaints.Info.
19 November 2016. Web. 16 September 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/new-catholic-dictionary-our-lady-of-good-counsel/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/new-catholic-dictionary-our-lady-of-good-counsel/
Our Lady of Good Counsel at the
"Guntschöller" farmhouse in Völser Aicha.
Altarbild
mit Maria vom Guten Rat. Kapelle beim
Guntschöller Hof in Völser Aicha.
Scapular of
the Mother of Good Counsel
Article
Approved by Pope Leo XIII
in December 1893. Its use is promoted by the Augustinian Fathers; the faculty
of blessing and investing with the scapular belongs primarily to the
Augustinian monks, but the General of the Augustinians communicates this
privilege to other priests. It is white wool, with one part bearing a picture
of the Mother of Good Counsel, and the other, the papal crown and keys with the
inscription, “Son, follow her counsel. Leo III”.
MLA
Citation
“Scapular of the Mother
of Good Counsel”. New Catholic Dictionary. CatholicSaints.Info.
19 November 2016. Web. 16 September 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/scapular-of-the-mother-of-good-counsel/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/scapular-of-the-mother-of-good-counsel/
Immaculate
Conception Church, Catholic Church and
Rectory, Clarksville
Our Mother of Good
Counsel
April 26
Mary, the Mother of
Jesus, under the title Mother of Good Counsel has a special place of
honor among the Augustinians.
A fifth-century church in
Latium was named Saint Mary of Good Counsel. Pastoral care of its people
was entrusted to the Augustinians in 1356.
The original painting
entitled Mother of Good Counsel is in the Augustinian Church in
Genazzano, Italy. This picture portrays Mary holding the child Jesus. Her veil
is around Jesus' shoulders, and Mary, caring mother that she was, is giving
some good counsel to her son.
An ancient legend says
that this fresco was miraculously transported to Genazzano from its former home
in Albania. The fresco came to rest on a narrow ledge inside the then
unfinished Genazzano church, according to this legend, and it remains in the
same place today.
During a restoration of
the church begun in 1957, however, scientific tests gave evidence of the true
origins of the small (12 inches by 17 inches) fresco. It was probably painted
sometime between 1417 and 1431 by the Italian artist Gentile de Fabriano. It
appears to have been part of a larger fresco that covered most of the church
wall.
The unfinished church was
used, even though more construction remained to be done. The wall with the
fresco was later covered with other decorations, and even later was painted
over. Years later a widow named Petruccia promised to pay for additional
construction in the church. During this construction, the original painting of
mother and child was revealed, perhaps by falling plaster or peeling paint.
Its unexpected appearance
was considered by some to be a miracle. Thus the legend grew.
The Genazzano church
became a popular place of pilgrimage. Numerous cures took place there. The
Augustinian Friars were invited to minister to the spiritual needs of the
pilgrims. They continue to serve there to this day.
Most Popes, shortly after
their election to that office, visit the shrine of Our Mother of Good Counsel
to pray for wisdom.
SOURCE : https://www.midwestaugustinians.org/our-mother-of-good-counsel
The
mosaic image installed at the Vatican
Gardens in 2009 at the decree of Pope
Benedict XVI. Leonine wall and the tower of Saint John inside the Vatican
gardens.
: Parte
della Mura leonine con il Torre San Giovanni dentro la Città del Vaticano.
Leoninische
Mauer mit dem Johannesturm innerhalb der vatikanischen Mauern.
April 26 – Our Mother of
Good Counsel
We honor Mary in the
Church under many titles. Today’s celebration is one particularly dear to
Augustinians throughout the world. The tender image of mother and child is at
one and the same time so very human and so illustrative of a deep spiritual
truth. Mary, mother of her infant son, is also his first and most faithful
disciple. He who is her Lord embraces her affectionately as she, his mother,
receives from him words of wisdom and counsel.
Augustinian devotion to
Mary under the title of Our Mother of Good Counsel has its origin in the
hill-town church of Genazzano, Italy, where the Augustinians have been located since
the 13th Century. Originally, their monastery was situated outside the town,
but a century they later were invited to take charge of the parish church of
Our Mother of Good Counsel in the town-center. When the friars decided to
renovate and enlarge the church there occurred an event that came to be
considered miraculous, and which drew the attention of great crowds of people.
On April 25, 1467, as a side wall was being repaired and a marble figure of the
Madonna was removed, there appeared, where the figure had hung, an image of
Mary and the Child Jesus. From that moment the title of the church was applied
also to the image. According to an old tradition, this very icon, venerated in
Albania under the name Our Lady of Scutari or Our Lady of the Albanians, is
said to have suddenly disappeared from a church as Albania was being invaded by
infidels. Legend says that it floated from the church and was followed by two
Albanian men until they reached Genazzano and recognized the image as their
own. The news of the “appearance” of the image, coupled with the story of the
Albanians, has caused the church, from that time, to be the destination of many
pilgrims, including several popes, saints and blesseds. Pope John XXIII was a
pilgrim to the shrine on the eve of the Second Vatican Council, and Pope John
Paul II visited it before going to Albania to re-establish the hierarchy there
following the collapse of communism. Leo XIII had declared the church a
Minor Basilica in 1903 and in April of that year introduced the invocation
‘Mother of Good Counsel’ to the Litany of Loreto. Blessed Stephen Bellesini was
pastor of this church for nine years until his death in 1840. His venerated
remains are preserved in a side chapel of the basilica.
We note the ‘good
counsel’ of Mary in several scenes of the Gospel, especially that of Cana, when
the mother of Jesus says, “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn. 2, 5). Saint
Augustine reminds us that while Mary is blessed for being the mother of Jesus,
she is even more blessed for being his disciple. In fact, as the first disciple
of her son she presents him to us as our teacher, our way, our truth and our
life – even as he was for her.
SOURCE : https://augustinian.org/april-26/
Our
Lady of Good Counsel (1906) venerated in Naples,
Italy.
Maria Vergine madre del
buon consiglio
Festa: 26 aprile
Miracolo: Genazzano,
Roma, 25 aprile 1467
Il culto rivolto alla
Madonna come «Madre del Buon Consiglio» si è diffuso largamente traendo origine
dal paese di Genazzano, vicino Roma, dove a lei è dedicato un celebre
santuario. La beata Vergine è giustamente onorata sotto il titolo di “Madre del
Buon Consiglio»” ella è la madre di Cristo, che Isaia profeticamente chiamò
“Consigliere mirabile” (Is 9, 5); visse tutta la sua vita sotto la guida dello
“Spirito del consiglio”, che la “avvolse”; “aderì intimamente all'eterno
Consiglio di ricapitolare in Cristo tutte le cose” (Ef 1, 10), venne da Dio
colmata dei doni dello Spirito Santo, fra i quali emerge “lo spirito della
sapienza” (Sap 7, 7b). Nel formulario la beata Vergine viene celebrata come
madre e maestra che, arricchita del dono del consiglio, con animo colmo di gratitudine
annunzia ciò che dice la Sapienza stessa: “A me appartiene il consiglio e la
saggezza, mia è la prudenza, mia la fortezza” (Pr 8, 14); e questi doni ella
volentieri li elargisce ai suoi figli e discepoli, esortandoli a compiere
anzitutto ciò che Cristo ha detto loro di fare (Gv 2, 1-11).
Nelle remote terre dell'Albania, oltre il Mare Adriatico, si trova la piccola città di Scutari. Edificata su una collina scoscesa e con ai suoi piedi i fiumi Crina e Bojana, già nel XIII secolo la cittadina conteneva nei suoi domini un tesoro prezioso: la bell'immagine di "Santa Maria di Scutari". Il Santuario che la custodiva si era trasformato nel centro di pellegrinaggio più frequentato del paese ed era per gli albanesi un importante punto di riferimento in materia di grazie e conforto spirituale.
Si tratta di un dipinto su di un sottile strato di intonaco, che misura 31 cm
di larghezza e 42,5 cm di altezza. Questo affresco sacro è avvolto nella
penombra del mistero e del miracolo: si ignora quando e da chi fu dipinto.
Intimità e unione dell'anima
Ci soffermiamo un po' a contemplare questo meraviglioso dipinto.
Esso rappresenta la Santissima Vergine, dall'incomparabile affetto materno, che tiene tra le braccia Gesù Bambino, entrambi incoronati da un semplice arcobaleno. I colori sono soavi, sottili le linee dei volti ammirevoli.
Il Bambino Gesù trasmette il candore di un bambino e la saggezza di chi analizza tutta l'opera della creazione ed è il Signore del passato, del presente e del futuro. Con indicibile tenerezza, il Divino Infante preme leggermente il suo viso contro quello della Madre. Vi è tra di loro un'attraente intimità e l'unione di anime è chiaramente vista riflessa nello scambio di sguardi. Nostra Signora, in un altissimo atto di adorazione, sembra che stia cercando di indovinare ciò che accade dentro al proprio Figlio. Allo stesso tempo, Ella considera il fedele afflitto inginocchiato ai suoi piedi e, in qualche modo, lo rende partecipe del celestiale convivio che contempliamo in questo quadro. Non sarà necessario dire, basta che il devoto si avvicini a Lei, per sentire l'opera dell'azione balsamica nella propria anima.
Nella metà del XIV secolo, l'Albania viveva un periodo costellato da diversi problemi. Dopo essere stata disputata dai popoli vicini, fu invasa dal potente impero turco.
Essendo sprovvista di una struttura militare capace di resistere al potente avversario, il popolo afflitto pregava, confidando nell'ausilio dei cieli. L'effetto di queste preghiere non si fece attendere: in quest'emergenza apparve un uomo di Dio, di nobile lignaggio e devotissimo di Nostra Signora, deciso a lottare in favore della Patrona e della libertà del suo paese. Il suo nome è Giorgio Castriota, chiamato in albanese Scanderbeg.
A costo di immensi sforzi bellici, egli riuscì a mantenere l'unità e la fede del suo popolo. Le cronache dell'epoca esaltano le sue gesta e quelle dei valorosi albanesi che, spinti dal suo ardore, lottavano al suo fianco.
Negli gli intervalli tra i combattimenti, essi si inginocchiavano supplicanti ai piedi di "Santa Maria di Scutari", e da li uscivano rafforzati; grazie a ciò ottenevano portentose e decisive vittorie contro il nemico della Fede. Già allora splendeva una caratteristica di Colei che futuramente sarebbe stata conosciuta in tutto il mondo come la Madre del Buon Consiglio: quella di fortificare tutti coloro che nel combattere in un buon combattimento, Le si avvicinano alla ricerca di animo e coraggio.
Tuttavia...dopo 23 anni di lotte, Scanderbeg lasciò la vita terrena. La mancanza di questo pietoso leader fu irreparabile.
Tutti nutrivano il presentimento di una prossima sconfitta. Il popolo si
trovava nella tragica alternativa di abbandonare la patria oppure di
sottomettersi alla schiavitù dei turchi.
Avvolta in luminosa nuvola
In questa situazione dubbiosa, la Vergine dell'affresco compare in sogno a due dei valorosi soldati di Scanderbeg, chiamati Georgis e De Sclavis, ordinando loro di seguirLa in un lungo viaggio. Ella inspirava loro una grande fiducia, e stare inginocchiati ai suoi piedi era per loro un motivo di grande consolazione.
Una certa mattina, mentre erano entrambi in fervorosa preghiera, videro il più grande miracolo della loro vita.
Il meraviglioso affresco si stacca dal muro e, condotto da angeli, avvolto in una candida e luminosa nuvola, si ritira soavemente dalla stanza. Possiamo bene immaginare la reazione dei bravi uomini! Attoniti, accompagnano Nostra Signora che avanza sú per i cieli di Scutari. Quando si rendono conto, sono ai margini del Mare Adriatico. Avevano percorso trenta chilometri senza stancarsi! Sempre avvolta in una candida nuvola, la miracolosa immagine avanza dentro il mare.
Perplessi, Georgis e De Sclavis non vogliono lasciarla per nessun motivo. Verificano, allora, stupefatti e euforici, che sotto i loro piedi le acque si trasformano in solidi diamanti, tornando allo stato liquido dopo il loro passaggio. Che miracolo! Come San Pietro sul lago di Gennesaret, questi due uomini camminano sul Mare Adriatico, guidati dalla propria "Stella del Mare".
Senza saper dire per quanto tempo camminarono, né quanti chilometri abbiano lasciato alle spalle, i bravi devoti vedono nuove spiagge. Si trovano adesso sulla Penisola Italica! Ma allora....dov'è Santa Maria di Scutari? Guardano da un lato...guardano dall'altro. Sentono parlare un'altra lingua, sentono un ambiente diverso dalla loro Albania...
Ma già non vedono la Signora della nuvola luminosa. Ella era sparita....Che
sofferenza! Cominciano quindi, una ricerca instancabile. Dove sarà Ella?
Petruccia, una donna di Fede
In questa stessa epoca, nella piccola città di Genazzano, non lontano da Roma, viveva una pietosa vedova chiamata Petruccia di Nocera, già ottantenne.
Signora di grande rettitudine e solida vita interiore, degna terziaria dell'ordine agostiniano, la sua eredità le bastava appena per vivere modestamente.
Petruccia era molto devota della Madre del Buon Consiglio, venerata in una vecchia chiesa di Genazzano. Questa pietosa signora ricevette dallo Spirito Santo la seguente rivelazione: "Maria Santissima, nella sua immagine di Scutari, desidera uscire dall'Albania". Molto sorpresa da questa comunicazione soprannaturale, Petruccia si spaventò ancor più nel ricevere dalla stessa Vergine Santissima l'ordine espresso di edificare il tempio che avrebbe dovuto accogliere il suo affresco, così come la promessa di essere soccorsa in tempo opportuno.
Petruccia iniziò allora la ricostruzione della piccola chiesa. Impiegò tutte le
sue risorse...le quali finirono quando le pareti avevano soltanto un metro di
altezza. Ed ella diventò oggetto di scherno e di sarcasmi da parte degli
scettici abitanti della piccola città, che la chiamavano pazza, visionaria,
imprudente, antiquata. Affrontò fiduciosa questa difficoltà, così come Noè, di
cui tutti si burlarono mentre costui costruiva l'arca.
"Un miracolo! Un miracolo!"
Era il 25 aprile 1467, festa di San Marco, patrono di Genazzano.
Alle due del pomeriggio, Petruccia si incammina verso la chiesa, passando per il movimentato mercato in cui i venditori offrivano dai tessuti portati da Genova e Venezia fino ad un elisir dell'eterna gioventù, oppure un "potentissimo" liquore contro qualsiasi tipo di febbre.
In mezzo a questo tumulto, il popolo ascolta una melodia di rara bellezza, proveniente dal cielo. Si fa silenzio e tutti notano che quella musica proveniva da una nuvoletta bianca, così luminosa che offuscava i raggi dello stesso sole. Essa scende gradualmente e si dirige verso la parete incompiuta di una cappella laterale. La folla vi accorre stupefatta, riempie la piccola stanza e vede la nuvola disfarsi.
Eccolo lì - sospeso in aria, senza nessun supporto visibile - il sacro affresco, la Signora del Buon Consiglio! "Un miracolo! Un miracolo! - gridano tutti. Che gioia per Petruccia, quanto conforto per Georgis e De Sclavis quando poterono arrivarvi!... Era così confermato il superiore disegno della costruzione iniziata. Ebbe inizio, quindi, a Genazzano, un lungo e ininterrotto susseguirsi di miracoli e di grazie che Nostra Signora concedette in quel luogo.
Il Papa Paolo II, appena seppe di ciò che era accaduto, vi inviò due prelati di fiducia per verificare cosa fosse avvenuto.
Essi constatarono la veridicità di ciò che si diceva e testimoniarono,
quotidianamente, innumerevoli guarigioni, conversioni e prodigi realizzati
dalla Madre del Buon Consiglio. Nei primi 110 giorni dopo l'arrivo di Nostra
Signora furono registrati 161 miracoli.
Consiglio, correzione, orientamento: grandi favori
Tra i suoi grandi devoti spiccarono i Papi San Pio V, Leone XIII - che incluse l'invocazione Madre del Buon Consiglio nella Litania Lauretana - San Pio X, numerosi santi come San Paolo della Croce, San Giovanni Bosco, Sant'Alfonso de Liguori, Beato Orione. Nello stesso Santuario di Genazzano, si può venerare il corpo incorrotto del Beato Stefano Bellesini, uno dei suoi parroci, grande propagatore della devozione alla Madre del Buon Consiglio.
Anche gli Araldi del Vangelo sono tra i suoi devoti. Hanno molto per cui ringraziarLa, per favori e grazie più importanti della cura di malattie corporali.
I più grandi miracoli Ella li compie nell'anima di ciascuno, consigliando, correggendo, orientando.
Chi potrà venerare il miracoloso dipinto della Madre del Buon Consiglio a Genazzano, comproverà personalmente il fiume di grazie che emana da quella celestiale fisionomia e capirà perché chi vi è stato una volta, sogna di tornare un giorno a quel sublime convivio.
Nella chiesa della Madonna del Buon Consiglio, nella piccola e bella città di Genazzano, si trova un affresco che ha più di sette secoli di esistenza. Fino ad oggi si ignora dove e da chi sia stato dipinto. Sarà stato un angelo il suo autore? Sarà venuto dal Paradiso? Sono domande osate. Si capisce che queste domande sorgano durante i secoli, quando si conosce la storia degli effetti prodotti da questa pietosissima immagine.
L'affresco crea l'impressione di essere stato dipinto da pochi giorni, anche se osservato da vicino. Tuttavia, si trova da 535 anni accanto alla parete di una cappella laterale della chiesa. Ancora di più: secondo quanto attestano i documenti, si mantiene sospeso in aria durante tutto questo tempo! È stato spostato da Scutari, in Albania, fino a Genazzano grazie ad un'azione angelica.
Così descrive questi avvenimenti soprannaturali uno dei più grandi esperti in materia:
"Portata da mani angeliche, si trovò (l'immagine") sospesa lì nella rustica parete della nuova chiesa, e con tre nuovi singolarissimi prodigi allora avvenuti. (...) Il celeste dipinto era sospeso per virtù divina a un dito dal muro, sospeso senza fissarsi su di esso; e questo è un miracolo, tanto più stupendo se consideriamo che la riferita immagine è dipinta con colori vivi su di uno strato sottile di intonaco -con il quale si è staccato dalla chiesa di Scutari, in Albania- così come per il fatto, comprovato tramite l'esperienza e le osservazioni fatte, che nel toccare la Santa Immagine, essa cede" (Fra Angelo Maria De Orgio, Istoriche de Maria Santissima del Buon Consiglio, nela Chiesa de'Padri Agostoniani di Genazzano, 1748, Roma, p. 20).
Nel XIX secolo, un rinomato studioso di questo celestiale fenomeno ha osservato:
"Tutte queste meraviglie (della Santa Immagine) si riassumono, infine, nel prodigio continuo che consiste nel ritrovare oggi quest'immagine nello stesso posto e allo stesso modo in cui fu lasciata dalla nuvola nel giorno della sua apparizione, alla presenza di tutto un popolo che ebbe allora la felicità di vederla per la prima volta. Essa si è posata ad una piccola altezza da terra, ad una distanza di circa un dito dalla parete nuova e rustica della cappella di San Biagio, e lì rimase, sospesa senza alcun supporto" . (Raffaele Buonanno, Memorie Storiche della Immagine de Maria, SS. Del Buon Consiglio Che si venera in Genezzano, Tipografia dell'Immacolata, Napoli, 20 ed., 1880, p. 44).
Alla festa del Battesimo di Sant'Agostino e di San Marco, patrono di Genazzano, il 25 aprile 1467, intorno alle quattro del pomeriggio, una celestiale melodia inizia a farsi sentire nei più diversi angoli della città. Un grande numero di persone, riunite nella piazza del mercato, cominciano a chiedersi meravigliate da dove vengano i sublimi e affascinanti accordi. Ecco che una divina sorpresa si rivela davanti agli occhi di tutti: in mezzo a raggi di luce, una piccola nuvola bianca scende fino ad una parete della già citata chiesa, le cui campane cominciano a suonare fortemente e da sole. Prodigio ancora piú grande: all'unisono, tutte le campane della città suonano con energia.
Nel disfarsi lentamente dei raggi di luce e della nuvola, il bellissimo affresco che fino ad oggi si trova in quel posto può essere contemplato dal popolo, e da quel giorno non ha smesso di versare copiose e sensibili grazie, facendo giustizia alla preziosa invocazione di Madre del Buon Consiglio.
La notizia di un così straordinario avvenimento si sparse per tutta l'Italia come una saetta. Due giorni più tardi ebbe inizio una vera valanga di miracoli: un posseduto si liberò dai demoni, un paralitico cammino con naturalità, una cieca recuperò la visione, un giovane lavoratore morto da poco risuscitò... Nei primi centodieci giorni, Maria del Buon Consiglio distribuì centosessantuno miracoli ai suoi fedeli devoti. Pellegrini di tutto il paese si spostarono per ricevere i benefici dalla Madre di Dio.
Davanti al santo affresco, una scena si ripete costantemente: Ella esaudisce in
qualche modo tutte le richieste che Le sono rivolte. Nei dubbi, nelle
perplessità o persino nelle provazioni, dopo un certo tempo di preghiera -
maggiore o minore, dipendendo da ciascun caso - Maria Santissima fa sentire nel
fondo dell'anima in difficoltà, il suo sapiente e materno consiglio,
accompagnato da cambiamenti di fisionomia e di colorazione del dipinto. È
indescrivibile, questo specialissimo fenomeno.
Prospero
Piatti, Apparizione della Madonna del Buon Consiglio a Genazzano
https://www.madredelbuonconsiglio.it/navata-centrale
Prospero
Piatti, La Venue de la Madone à Genazzano
I fedeli che invocano
Maria santissima «madre del buon consiglio» piamente recitano le Litanie della
beata Vergine Maria da quando Leone XIII nel 1903, aggiunse questa invocazione
al formulario lauretano. Il culto rivolto alla Madonna come «madre del buon
consiglio» si è diffuso largamente dappertutto traendo origine dal paese di
Genazzano, vicino a Roma, dove a lei è dedicato un celebre santuario; e ciò ad
opera soprattutto dei fratelli e delle sorelle della Famiglia agostiniana. La
beata Vergine è giustamente onorata sotto il titolo di «madre del buon
consiglio»: ella è la madre di Cristo, che Isaia profeticamente chiamò
«Consigliere mirabile» (Is 9, 5; cfr Prima Lettura, Is 9, 2-7; Orazione dopo la
Comunione); visse tutta la sua vita sotto la guida dello «Spirito del
consiglio», che la «avvolse» (Orazione sulle offerte); «aderì intimamente all'eterno
Consiglio di ricapitolare in Cristo tutte le cose» (Prefazio; Ef 1,10) venne da
Dio colmata dei doni dello Spirito Santo (cfr Prefazio), fra i quali emerge «lo
spirito della sapienza» (Antifona d'ingresso; cfr Sap 7.7b). Nel formulario la
beata Vergine viene celebrata come madre e maestra che, arricchita del dono del
consiglio, con animo colmo di gratitudine annunzia ciò che dice la Sapienza
stessa: «A me appartiene il consiglio e la saggezza, mia e la prudenza, mia la
fortezza» (Alleluia, Pro 8,14); e questi doni ella volentieri li elargisce ai
suoi figli e discepoli (cfr Antifona d'ingresso), esortandoli a compiere
anzitutto ciò che Cristo ha detto loro di fare (cfr Vangelo, Gv 2,1-11;
Antifona alla Comunione, Gv 2,5). Celebrando questa messa imploriamo da Dio il
dono del consiglio, «perché ci faccia conoscere ciò che piace (a Dio) e ci
guidi nei travagli della vita» (Colletta; cfr Orazione dopo la Comunione).
Questa messa, eccettuato il prefazio, è tratta dal Proprio delle messe
dell'Ordine di sant'Agostino, approvato nel 1975 dalla sacra Congregazione per
il Culto divino.
Implorai e venne in me lo spirito della sapienza;
con cuore puro io lo accolsi,
senza invidia lo dono,
non tengo nascoste le sue ricchezze.
[Sap 7,7b.13]
Fonte : Messale
della Beata Vergine Maria
SOURCE : https://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/97044
Il Santuario. Basilica
Santuario Madre del Buon Consiglio. Corso Cardinali Vannutelli 200030 Genazzano - Roma – Italia : https://www.madredelbuonconsiglio.it/storia
Our Lady of Good Counsel
of Genazzano. April 25 in Genazzano - April 26 elsewhere. Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira : https://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j124sdOLGenazzano_3-06.htm
Our Lady of Good Counsel:
All about this devotion and Pope Leo XIV’s connection to it : https://www.ewtnvatican.com/articles/our-lady-of-good-counsel-all-about-this-devotion-and-pope-leo-xivs-connection-to-it-5475
8 Fast Facts About Our Lady of Good Counsel, The Miraculous Devotion of Pope Leo XIV : https://ewtn.co.uk/chpop-8-fast-facts-about-our-lady-of-good-counsel-the-miraculous-devotion-of-pope-leo-xiv/
