In the heart of Vatican City, where tradition and spirituality converge, a profound declaration resonates weekly in St. Peter’s Square during the Angelus a solemn prayer paying homage to Mary. For an impressive 29 years, a steadfast group from the Casa di Maria community has unfurled a vibrant blue banner emblazoned with the words “L’Immacolata Vincerà” translating to “The Immaculate Conception will triumph” a proclamation echoing the Marian spirituality of the revered St. Maximilian Kolbe.
Since the auspicious day of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 1994, members of the Casa di Maria community have held their distinctive banner aloft at the Pope’s Angelus every Sunday and on Marian feast days. Father Michele Reschini, overseeing the community’s youth formation, shared with CNA via email the profound significance behind this weekly ritual.
“Every time we hold the banner in the square, we affirm that life is a struggle and the Christian’s joy is a victory the joy not of those who pretend that all is well but the exultation of those who believe that evil does not have the last word because God is greater,” Father Reschini emphasized.
The House of Mary community, founded in 1990 and supported in its early days by Cardinal Andrzej Maria Deskur, has become a vibrant tapestry of priests, consecrated women, families, and young adults united by their devotion to Mary. The community’s presence at the Angelus is a testament to their filial affection for the Pope and their unwavering support for his magisterium and apostolate.
Father Reschini further elaborated, stating, “Moreover, this banner is meant to be a small sign of great hope. In such an ecclesial place and moment as the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, we want to express that Our Lady is present in the heart of the Church.”
St. Maximilian Kolbe’s Marian spirituality, a focal point for the community, has found resonance in the phrase “The Immaculate Conception will triumph.” This phrase, invoked by Cardinal Deskur in a 1994 audience with Pope John Paul II, became the unofficial motto of the House of Mary. On December 8, 1994, the community brought their blue banner to the Angelus for the first time, marking a pivotal moment.
During an Angelus the following month, Pope John Paul II pointed to the banner and declared, “I, too, am convinced that the Immaculate Conception will triumph!” This papal endorsement solidified the significance of the House of Mary’s mission, infusing it with renewed purpose and vigor.
Throughout the years, the group has taken their banner on papal trips within Italy, traversing more than 96,000 miles and gracing over 38 cities with their inspirational message. Pope Francis has expressed support for the House of Mary and their unwavering presence at his Sunday Angelus.
Father Reschini encapsulated the community’s ethos, stating, “The House of Mary is a community that wants to live the Gospel in faith and to witness to the Gospel through fraternal life in a world that increasingly loses the gift of belief and the gift of fraternity.”
He emphasized the enduring presence of Our Lady in the life of Jesus and the Church, offering hope and a guarantee of victory amid the storms of modern times. In the face of secularism, modernism, and relativism, the House of Mary remains resolute, and faithful to Christ to the end. As Father Reschini eloquently put it, “The Church remaining with Mary will triumph because, like Mary and with Mary, it is faithful to Christ to the end.”
