The 6-word definition of Mary that explains everything Apr. 27, 2024 OUR LADY OF DIVINE LOVE One of Rome's most popular sh

The 6-word definition of Mary that explains everything
Apr. 27, 2024

OUR LADY OF DIVINE LOVE

One of Rome's most popular shrines is about to get a papal visit. And pilgrims leave there knowing one thing for sure.

Pope Francis is about to open the month of May with a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love. He is following the footsteps of his two recent predecessors in reminding us that this particular shrine holds a special place in Rome’s heart. Pope John Paul II visited the shrine on May 1, 1979, and Pope Benedict XVI did the same 27 years later, on May 1, 2006.

The sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love is a little off the beaten path, but well worth a stop whenever you find yourself in the Eternal City. If you want to have the full experience of a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Divine Love, which entails walking about nine miles, give yourself a full day, or join one of the many all-night vigil pilgrim walks to the shrine that happen throughout the year.

Pilgrims often start out at the Piazza di Porta Capena, a southern gateway to Rome, and walk along the Via Appia Antigua (Old Appian Way) until reaching the Quo Vadis Church. This small place of worship marks the site where St. Peter, fleeing from Roman persecution, allegedly met the Lord and asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “I am going to Rome to be crucified again.” Upon hearing this response, Peter turned around and returned to Rome, where he himself was then martyred by being crucified upside down. After seeing the Quo Vadis site, you would walk a few more miles along the Via Ardeantina to reach the Shrine of Sancte Marie de Divino Amore, or Our Lady of Divine Love.

As Pope Benedict wrote in Deus Caritas Est, and reiterated in his 2006 address at Our Lady of Divine Love, “Mary is a woman who loves.” These simple six words — a profound description of Mary — perfectly captures the focus and significance of the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love. People come before her in pilgrimage over and over, and each time, they are reminded that they are loved.

The center of devotion at the shrine is a fresco that was originally painted on a tower in the early 1300s. For a few centuries, aside from some local shepherds who would gather near the tower to say their Rosary, few people knew of the image. That would change in 1740, when a traveler passing by the tower on his way to the Vatican was attacked by a pack of dogs. Looking up and seeing the image of Mary, he called on her protection and was miraculously saved. Word of this spread, and devotion to the image grew rapidly.

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Aleteia

Ellen Mady