Shrine of the Holy House of Loreto

Pope Francis encouraged the family initiatives of the Shrine of the Holy House of Loreto after praying the Angelus on September 9, 2018, with some 15,000 pilgrims gather in St Peter’s Square.

“The Nativity of Mary was celebrated yesterday at Loreto, in the Pontifical Shrine of the Holy House of Loreto—the House of Mary, the House of every family—and the proposal of spirituality for families was launched… We entrust the shrine’s initiatives and all those that will take part in different capacities to the Holy Virgin,” the Pope said.

The Shrine of the Holy House of Loreto is one of the most important shrines in the world. It overlooks the town of Loreto Hill which is located 30 km southwest of the city of Ancona. It houses the three walls of the semi-troglodyte house of Nazareth where, according to tradition, the Annunciation took place and where the Holy Family lived.

Adapted from Zenit