Pope Leo XIV Unveils Fresco at Sanctuary in Genazzano

GENAZZANO, Italy (AP) — Pope Leo XIV returned Monday to a sanctuary where he prayed just after his election and unveiled a fresco depicting him praying, which now adorns an upper cornice of the basilica. Leo unveiled the portrait before celebrating Mass with his fellow Augustinian brothers at the Sanctuary of Our Mother of Good Counsel in the medieval village of Genazzano, located south of Rome. He joins a handful of past popes whose visits to the sanctuary were commemorated with portraits that adorn its walls, going back to Pope Urban VIII in 1630. Leo visited the sanctuary on May 10, 2025, just two days after his election and in his first outing as pope. The former Robert Prevost had been there many times before, as the place holds special significance for the pope's Augustinian religious order. The sanctuary is managed by Augustinian friars and has been a site of pilgrimage since the 15th century. Leo's namesake, Pope Leo XIII, elevated it to a minor basilica and expanded the adjacent convent in the early 1900s. During his homily at the basilica Monday, which commemorates the birth of Mary, Leo referred to his 2025 visit. He recalled what he wrote in the sanctuary's guest book, expressing his "need and profound desire" to pray before the Madonna of Good Counsel, who he said has accompanied him throughout his life with her maternal presence, wisdom, and example of love for her son, who is central to his faith. Leo and the Vatican are increasing their activities as the summer lull ends. The Holy See's typically busy autumn conferences and audiences are being planned, and Leo is preparing for a trip to France at the end of the month, as well as a trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru in November.