March 2010

42 Anniversary Maddonna

18th century German painting of a famous Madonna know as the Mother of Good Counsel. During the Counter Reformation Augustinian Order has decided to make the order under the protection of Our Lady of Good Counsel. They started to honor his image wherever they are located. In Germany, for example, seventy thousand images have been distributed and soon the devotion began to flourish. The original image is stored at Genazzano, a small town southeast of Rome.

A short article I once wrote about the picture: about 50 km south of Rome lies Genazzano. The Italian city is famous worldwide for its miraculous image of the Virgin Mary, known as the Mother of Good Counsel. It is preserved in the Augustinian church of the city and pilgrimage destination. The history of the sanctuary began in 1467. According to a legend in that year a widow named Jane Petruzzi has decided to rebuild the old church of St. Augustine Genazzano. The building was derelict for a long time. People laughed Genazzano widow's plans, knowing that she did not have the means to such an undertaking. Even if they did, and for aid to rebuild the church, refused their help when Petruzzi ran out of money. Then April 25, 1467, St. Mark's Day, a miracle happened. While the population of Genazzano participated in a carnival, a cloud descended from a clear sky sparkling before the unfinished church. When the cloud disappeared, a small picture of the Virgin with the child may have witnessed one of the inner walls of the church. At the same time, all the city bells began to ring. The story of the miraculous picture soon spread and many people came to see him. Between late April and mid August of 1467, 171 miracles were recorded at the site. Because of its miraculous origin, the image became known as the 'Madonna del Paradiso'. But where people think they Genazzano came from? The second part of the legend provides an answer to this question: Shortly after the picture appeared, two Albanians arrived in Genazzano. Had fled from the Ottoman Turks, who occupied Albania at the time. The men told people to Genazzano the image comes from a church in their home town of Shkodra, the city Current Scutari. There had been the object of fervent veneration. However, shortly before the Turkish occupation of the city, miraculously left Scutari. The men testified that they saw the image of being transported by a cloud in the direction of Italy, where they followed him. The half-figure of the Mother of Good Counsel is a so-called 'Eleousa', a representation of the Virgin Mary as 'Mother of Tenderness'. Mother and son appear before a curtain with a fresco behind.The rainbow runs on a thin layer of plaster. It is probably a work dating from the 14th century Umbrian. Stylistically, the image is strongly influenced by the work of famous Italian Giotto (1267-1337). Over the centuries, millions of pilgrims have come to view the image in the Augustinian church of Genazzano. It is kept in one of the side chapels of the church. After the papal coronation in November 1682, a canon of the chapter of St. Peter's in Rome, reported that the image is mostly suspended in the air, only attached to the wall above. This was considered a miracle. It is also believed that at certain times the facial expressions of modified images. Most striking devotion to the Mother of Good Counsel is located in the world. In many countries there are shrines and churches dedicated to this particular image of the Virgin. The widespread popularity is due largely to the promotion of religion by the Augustinian Order, who choose Our Lady of Good Counsel, as their patron. Augustinians went everywhere, they took with them copies of the images. In central Europe alone, some 70,000 copies were found in the 18th century. In 1748 the first Italian devotional book has been published, which was soon translated into other languages. The Jesuits have also spread the devotion, as they did with many other local Marian cults. On April 26, the Mother of Good Counsel in memory at a special Mass. The feast was celebrated in Genazzano since 1727 and was officially approved in 1789. Invoking Mother 'of Good Counsel, pray for us' was added to the Litany of Loreto in the 19th century. The image of the Mother of Good Counsel is one of the world's most revered image of the Virgin Mary. Its popularity is probably due to two factors: the impressive tenderness of mother and child and its catchy title. The title is probably a popular expression of an ancient idea theology of Mary as a manifestation of divine wisdom. That's why you can often read the following text from Ecclesiastes (6:24) devotional on old prints of the Mother of Good Counsel, 'Listen my son, and sage advice to accept and not reject my advice' ;.