The Shrine of Our Lady of Grace at Mentorella has been a popular pilgrimage site of many popes, including Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Innocent XIII and most recently, Pope Leo XIV.
St. John Paul II had a particular love of the picturesque sanctuary, often retreating to it for times of deep prayer at critical junctures in his life.
He explained his fondness for the shrine in an address he gave shortly after he was elected pope:
On the occasion of these stays in Rome, I have often visited the sanctuary of Our Lady of Mentorella. This place, hidden among the mountains, has particularly fascinated me. From it, one's eyes can range over and admire the magnificent view of the Italian landscape. I came here again a few days before the last Conclave. And if today I have wished to return, it is for various reasons, which I will set forth now.
Close to nature
One of the reasons why he loved it so much was because it is a shrine situated with a beautiful natural landscape, away from the busyness of Rome:
This is a place in which man opens to God in a special way. A place where, far from everything, but also at the same time close to nature, one can speak confidentially to God himself. One feels within one what is man's personal call.
Traditionally this shrine was built at the spot where St. Eustachius (Eustace) converted in the 2nd century, after seeing a miraculous vision of a cross between a stag's antlers.
Helped John Paul II pray
Furthermore, he kept coming back to the shrine because he was able to pray much more effectively here:
During my stays in Rome, this place helped me a great deal to pray. And that is another reason why I wanted to come here today. Prayer, which expresses in various ways man's relationship with the living God, is also the first task and almost the first announcement of the Pope, just as it is the first condition of his service in the Church and in the world.
While the shrine is not one of the best known shrines near Rome, it has caught the attention of many popes, likely because of its humble and isolated character.
