Mother Most Admirable

Feast Day: October 20 in commemoration of Pop Piux IX’s visit.

In 1844, Pauline Perdrau, a student at the Trinita dei Monti in Rome, Italy sought permission to paint a fresco of Our Lady in a niche of the corridor that surrounded the cloister.  Pauline knew nothing of fresco painting, but she was granted her request.

When the fresco was completed, the wet paint was thought to be too vivid, furthermore, Our Lady’s face wasn’t as pleasing as Pauline would have liked. So the fresco was left to dry under a protect drape.

When the drape was removed, the paint appeared in the lovely shades that are admired today, and the face of Our Lady appeared more comely. This was considered to be a miracle and a special sign.

The image was origanally entitled: The Madonna of the Lily, but on October 20, 1846, Pope Pius IX visited the school. Standing before the fresco the Pontiff exclaimed, “Mater Admirabilis.” And the title has endured ever since.

That same year the first of many miracles credited to the fresco took place. Because of many other miracles that followed, Holy Mass was celebrated before the image according to the permission given by Pope Pius IX. Indulgences were granted to those who prayed there. Many Saints have made a pilgrimage to pray there, such as, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, St. John Bosco, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Pius X, St. Vincent Pallotti and Bl. Aloysius of Orione.

• Gently wipe with a soft cloth or jeweler's cloth
• Do not get the centerpiece image wet