La Madre del
Buen consejo
Feast day April 26
The same feast day as the transmission of the 11 guidelines
(April 26 2003)
Our Lady of Good Counsel, Genazzano
by Bro. Francis M. Kalvelage, FI
source
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read also : Our
Lady of Good Counsel of Genazzano
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Novena
to Our Lady of Good Counsel April
17 to 25
ABOVE THE MAIN entrance of the church of the Madonna del Buon
Consiglio in the, little, picturesque town of Genazzano there is a
Latin inscription; translated it reads:
“
In the year of the Incarnation, 1467, on the feast of St.
Mark, at the hour of Vespers, the image of the Mother of God,
which you venerate.... appeared from on high.”
How this fragile, eggshell thin portrait of the Madonna and Child
Jesus appeared from out of a clear sky in a mysterious cloud and
landed unsupported on the wall of an unfinished church is but
another example of how God, through His Mother, likes to confound
the “wisdom of the learned.” How can its flight be explained apart
from the miraculous? The Translation by angels of the Holy House
of Nazareth to Loreto, Italy, may be questioned by skeptics
because of a lack of contemporary documentation, but such cannot
be said of the astounding arrival of this sacred icon in
Genazzano, Italy.
It was witnessed by the entire population of the town who were
attending a festival honoring St. Mark on April 25. As if to draw
further attention to its arrival all the church bells of the town
rang out of their own accord drawing still more witnesses from the
surrounding areas. All this was thoroughly documented at the time.
The fragile Madonna of Good Counsel image, transported across the
Adriatic Sea from Albania to Genazzano, Italy is a historic fact.
As scripture has it, “Nothing is impossible with God”—and
transporting a house is no more of a problem to God than a small
image of Our Lady.
Centuries
before the miraculous translation of the image of Our Lady of Good
Counsel, the town of Genazzano was noted for its devotion to Our
Lady. In the 5th century, the people of Genazzano were singled out
by the papacy for their generous contributions to the restoration
of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. In gratitude, Pope
Sixtus III (432-440) donated a piece of land to that area of
Genazzano where the people were particularly generous. They built
a church on the property naming it Our Lady of the Snows after the
famous basilica in Rome.
In 1356, the Augustinians took over the care of the Church.
However, in the space of several centuries the church became badly
in need of renovation. It seems no one was particularly interested
in finding a restoration of the decrepit Church, with the
exception of a pious widow, Petruccia de Geneo. Of moderate means,
she was willing to at least start the renovation. But it wasn’t
long before she used up all her funds and no one was interested in
helping her. Rather, people poked fun at her for not having the
sufficient funds to complete the unfinished church which they
called “Petruccia’s Folly.” However, Petruccia’s great trust in
the power of Mary was rewarded when at about 4 o’clock in the
afternoon of April 25th in a cloudless sky, a mysterious cloud
appeared, accompanied by beautiful strains of heavenly music. It
descended on a low unfinished wall of the church before thousands
of awestruck spectators. As it parted and dissolved, it revealed a
portrait of Our Lady and the Child Jesus. Petruccia who had been
praying in another part of town, on hearing the bells rushed to
the scene, saw the image of Our Lady and fell on her knees in
tears.
Our Lady immediately focused additional attention on the
miraculous image by a shower of favors and graces. A notary was
appointed to register the more notable healings and graces.
They numbered 171 from April 27 to August 14, 1467. Due to the
popularity of the shrine and the numerous miracles, Pope Paul II
initiated an investigation. He had two bishops appointed to
thoroughly study the case, one from France the other from
Dalmatia. A few days later, while this investigation was being
conducted, two men from Albania arrived in Genazzano from Rome,
attracted by the reports of a miraculous image arriving there.
They immediately recognized the picture as the icon venerated in
their hometown of Scutari, Albania, under the title of Our Lady of
Good Counsel. They reported that they had seen the image detach
itself from the wall of their church and followed it to Rome where
it vanished from view. The two Albanians were overjoyed to see the
venerated image safe in Genazzano. The Turks who had overrun their
country had no love for sacred images and they were fearful that
the picture would eventually be destroyed. They and a number of
other Albanians, refugees from the Turks, took up residence in
Genazzano just to be near “their” beloved Madonna.
The Father Provincial of the Augustinians needed no further proof
He wrote, “All of Italy came to visit the blessed image; cities
and towns came in pilgrimage. Many wonders occurred, many favors
were received... The very beautiful image of Mary appeared on the
wall without human intervention.” Further investigation in Scutari
confirmed the absence of the image from the wall of the church and
from a spot of exactly the same dimensions as the picture.
Needless to say “Petruccia’s Folly” was vindicated and her strong
unwavering faith rewarded. Not only was the church she sacrificed
so much for restored but it became an international shrine to the
Mother of God where Our Lady of Good Counsel has distributed
countless graces to her needy children over the centuries. A large
monastery was erected adjacent to the shrine church to house the
Augustinian Fathers who are still the custodians. Petruccia was
given the honor of being buried in the chapel of the Madonna.
Pope Urban VIII, who at first was incredulous of the Genazzano
legend, was eventually so convinced of its authenticity that in
1630, he made a pilgrimage there to pray for the lifting of a
plague which was scourging Italy. In 1777, the Sacred Congregation
of Rites added its token of recognition by approving a proper
Office, commemorating the history of the shrine, to be used by the
Augustinian Order.
The portrait is a touching rendition of the tender love of Jesus
for His Mother Mary. His face is pressed against her cheek while
His right arm is hugging her neck. His left hand is hanging onto
the neckline of her dress as if not to let her go. Interesting to
relate, the Madonna’s face appears sad when viewed from an angle,
but in a frontal view she appears smiling. It has also been noted
that the cheeks of the Virgin seem to change from red to pink and
that the color of the portrait acquires various tones in different
periods of the year, though it is protected by glass against
humidity, and is unaffected by hot or cold weather.
The English author, Gillette, in his two volume set of books on
the “Famous Shrines of Our Lady” gives us these remarkable facts,
“It was found that the painting was executed not upon wood, or
canvas, or metal, but upon a thin layer of plaster of porcelain
texture and thickness—the thickness of an eggshell. This no human
skill could have detached whole and uncracked from another wall,
much less have transported it and placed it in its new location.
This wafer-like sheet of plaster was standing upright and with no
support of any kind except the narrow ledge it rested upon.”
For well over five hundred years, this extraordinary phenomenon
has remained unchanged, defying the law of gravity. Although it is
now enshrined behind glass in a marvelous golden framework, and
adorned with many precious stones, at no place is this fragile
painting supported or touched except at the base. The Commission
found it possible to pass a thread in the front of the Icon around
the top, down the back from top to bottom, proving there is no
visible support. During the Second World War a bomb fell through
the sanctuary roof demolishing the high altar and causing terrible
damage. The sacred picture was untouched, though only a few yards
away. So Our Lady of Good Counsel continues to reign among her
beloved of Genazzano and all who would seek her help and counsel
which she, the Seat of Wisdom, is so desirous to share with her
children.
The Original Site of Our Lady of Good Counsel
One might ask, as a postscript, whatever happened to the original
church in Scutari, Albania? As was expected, it was demolished by
the Turks. Since they are Moslems, they have the misconception
that veneration of images such as those of Jesus, Mary and the
saints is idolatry.
The famous Albanian leader, George Scanderkeg, a devout Catholic
who loved Our Lady very much and would pray at night before her
image in the small chapel near the fortress of Scutari was able to
keep the Turks at bay. He defeated them a number of times with
much smaller forces but he could not get badly needed help from
other Christian countries. When he died of a fever in 1468,
Albania soon fell to the invaders. Not only did thousands of
Albanians who were staunch Catholics flee to southern Italy but
Our Lady of Good Counsel was forced into exile as well. It wasn’t
until 1895 that the people of Scutari were able to rebuild a
chapel in the same location as the first one.
When the Communists took over Albania in the 20th century and
boasted that they were the first truly atheistic country in the
world, they wasted no time in persecuting Catholics and destroying
the second chapel as well. Let us hope that another image of Our
Lady of Good Counsel and a third shrine to her will again grace
the land of Albania and her people who have suffered so long and
so much.
(Del libro Altares marianos de Italia. De la Academia
Mariana)
Novena to
Our Lady of Good Counsel -
April 17 to
25
Holy Virgin, moved by the painful uncertainty we experience in
seeking and acquiring the true and the good, we cast ourselves
at thy feet and invoke thee under the sweet title of
Mother of Good Counsel. We beseech thee: come to our aid
at this moment in our worldly sojourn when the twin darknesses
of error and of evil plots our ruin by leading minds and hearts
astray.
Seat of Wisdom and Star of the Sea, enlighten the victims of
doubt and of error so that they may not be seduced by evil
masquerading as good; strengthen them against the hostile and
corrupting forces of passion and of sin.
Mother of Good Counsel, obtain for us from thy Divine Son the
love of virtue and the strength to choose, in doubtful and
difficult situations, the course agreeable to our salvation.
Supported by thy hand we shall thus journey without harm along
the paths taught us by the word and example of Jesus our Savior,
following the Sun of Truth and Justice, in freedom and safety
across the battlefield of life under the guidance of thy
maternal Star, until we come at length to the harbor of
salvation to enjoy with thee unalloyed and everlasting peace.
Amen.
(By Pope Pius XII, 23 January 1953).
- The original 11
guidelines (french),
were transmitted
in France by the Reverend Father Dom Marcellin Theeuwes,
to the representatives of the initial CLC (Carthusian Lay
Contemplatives), April 26, 2003, founding the IFSB; this was
on the feast day of Our Lady of Good Counsel, in the
universal church calendar. Please join and invite others, in
praying Our Lady of Good Counsel for the realization of
God’s plan for the IFSB/SBLC; specially yearly during the 9
days preceding the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel.
