When Chicago-based iconographer Joseph Malham received an unexpected commission for a mystery recipient, he had a sneaking suspicion who it might be. The request came from Michael Airdo, an attorney and long-time friend of Pope Leo XIV — whom he knows as “Father Bob.” Airdo was planning a visit to his old friend when the idea came to him for a very special gift. Pope Leo XIV had joined the Midwest Augustinians in 1977, and the province he joined has a namesake: “Our Mother of Good Counsel.” What about a sacred image to honor this history and Our Lady’s protection?  Airdo had seen and admired Malham’s artwork, so he reached out to him with the commission. Time was short before his trip to Rome — but the Blessed Mother came through for them. Malham told Aleteia: When Michael Airdo said, “It’s going to Rome, and to a very prominent Augustinian,” I said, “Okay, I’m not Read More…

The remarkable story behind Pope Leo’s new icon