12 icons blessed by Pope Francis

On May 18, twelve Redemptors were present at the Papal Office in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. The main purpose of this exceptional presence was to guarantee the blessing of Pope Francis on the 12 specially prepared icons of Our Lady of Perpetual Assistance.

Among the twelve Redemptors were Superior General Michael Brehl, some members of the Community of the General Council, the Jubilee of the Icon and the International Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Assistance.

Since only two were allowed to stay in the front row for this special request, the Superior General appointed Juventius Andrade (President of the Jubilee Icon Commission) and Fr. Arturo Martinez (Rector of the International Sanctuary). Pope Francis was briefly informed about the closure of our Jubilee of the Icon of Love, and the reason for the blessing of the twelve icons. His Holiness personally blessed the icon that was presented by his fathers Juventius and Arturo. Later, he also blessed the other eleven icons, placed in a prominent position near the podium.

These icons have been ‘written by Brother Richard Maidwell CSsR of South Africa and by Sister Maria Slepchenko OSSR, a Ukrainian Redemptorist nun in the Bielsko-Biala community; the remaining ten were prepared by Fr. Eugeniusz Karpiel CSsR of Warsaw Province and his school.