After his General Audience, Pope Francis blessed a peculiar item presented to him from the crowd: a golden rose.
The rose is a gift to Our Lady of Skalmierzyce in Poland, an image which dates back to the 15th century.
PIOTR ADAMCZEWSKI
It is almost 600 years old, and just now it is 55 years that the painting was coronated by the primate of Poland, Cardinal Wyszyński.
In 1966, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński crowned the image of Our Lady with crowns that were blessed by Pope Paul VI. Now, the image will be accompanied by a golden rose blessed by Pope Francis.
PIOTR ADAMCZEWSKI
Priest Swavek went with this golden rose personally to the Holy Father and the Holy Father has blessed the rose for Our Lady of Skalmierzyce. It is a great event for Priest Swavek and for all the citizens of our settlement and our region.
The small community in central Poland sits just outside of Kalisz, Poland's oldest city. Together they purchased the present as a gift to the icon of their church. Now, the golden rose is making its way back to Poland to deliver the second papal blessing to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Skalmierzyce.
JM
