Vatican City, May 29, 2023 / 10:30 am. To honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Vatican offers a special Marian pilgrimage within St. Peter’s Basilica each Saturday afternoon during the month of May.

Images of the Virgin Mary usually depict her fully clothed, including a head covering. The Virgin Mary’s attire must suggest chastity, purity and (sexual and spiritual) virtue.

In his Angelus message, Pope Francis reflected on the Virgin Mary’s “daily fidelity in simple things.” “Prior to the Annunciation, the Gospel says nothing about Mary.

The original Mater Ecclesiae image of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child was painted on a column in old St. Peter’s Basilica, built by Emperor Constantine in the fourth century.

Getty Images. The Virgin Mary statue would surpass other notable landmarks of faith worldwide. The Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, stands almost 100 feet tall, ...

The original image of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child was painted on a column in old St. Peter’s Basilica, built by Emperor Constantine in the fourth century. It was later transferred to ...