I was grateful for the recent opportunity to travel to Rome for the end of the Jubilee of Hope and to walk through the open Holy Door. No trip to the Eternal City is complete for me unless I stop by the smallest Chapel in Rome in honor of the Mother of God: Our Lady of the Little Arch, where the miraculous image known as the “Most Holy Virgin Cause of our Joy” is venerated.
No more than 20 can fit inside this tiny chapel for Mass or the recitation of the holy rosary. Located just two blocks from the Casa Maria dell’Umiltà where diocesan priests from the United States live who have been sent to Rome by their bishops for graduate studies in theology or canon law, and four blocks from the Trevi Fountain, it remains a jewel in the heart of the city. It lies within the parish boundaries of the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles.
In 1690, the image was painted on a kind of pottery by Domenico Muratori, an artist from Bologna, and placed under an arch. An unexplained phenomenon, perhaps one of several, was reported during the following 100 years: the eyes of Mary in the image moved back and forth. Vatican authorities carefully studied the descriptions of what occurred. In 1850, Virginio Vespignani, a Roman architect, began the construction of a chapel in an alley to house the image. Such a chapel, which is in the Neo-Renaissance style, is not often seen in Rome. Vespignani, who considered this chapel — known as a national monument of art in Italy — to be his masterpiece, covered the interior with costly stones, while the sculptures were the work of Luigi Simonetti.
The miraculous image of Our Lady is located above the altar. Constantino Brumidi, who is responsible for the frescoes in the United States Capitol in Washington frescoed the chapel’s cupola. The Chapel of Our Lady of the Little Arch was dedicated May 31, 1851, and the image was solemnly crowned Nov. 1, 1946, the same day Father Karol Wojtyla, the future St. John Paul II, was ordained a priest in Poland. The chapel’s feast day is the first Sunday of July.
Numerous saints, blesseds and popes have visited the chapel: Benedict Joseph Labre, Vincent Pallotti, Gaspar of Buffalo, Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Pius X, Bartolo Longo, Pius XII, John XXIII and Paul VI.
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Little Arch has been an incredible gift to me and so many. I have received abundant graces from my time there.
Here is a prayer asking for the assistance of Mary, cause of our joy. “Turn your maternal glance, O pure and holy Virgin, from the high seat of your glory and see your children who lift their hands and hearts to you in supplication. Anguish presses upon us on every side; fierce and fearsome enemies arise ever new; souls, families, the church, and our homeland are tormented by so many evils and place all their hope in you. Oh! You who in this image turn your eyes upon Rome, having shown the depth of your power and compassion, turn them now to our ready help. From Jesus you obtain the strongest faith, the liveliest hope, the most ardent charity, yes, you brought us back and united us to you and to Jesus, so that we may never again be separated, and after having tasted on earth the fruits of grace and peace, we can ascend to Heaven to bless you, possess you and enjoy you with Jesus forever and ever. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, … ”
Msgr. Mangan is on the faculty of Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md.
Made for communion