In Rome 352, there lived a nobleman, John and his wife, who had been blessed with much of this world’s goods, but no child. They chose the Mother of God as the heir to their fortune, and at the suggestion of Pope Liberius, prayed that she might make known to them how to do this.
 
As her answer, during the night of August 5, the Mary, appeared to both John and his wife and the Holy Father, Pope Liberius, directing them to build a church in her honor on the crown of the Esquiline Hill. As the sign they had requested, she declared that "snow will cover the crest of the hill.”
 
Snow rarely falls in Rome - much less in August - but snowflakes fell swiftly that night, blanketing the peak of the hill. In the morning the Pope and the nobleman ventuered up the hill and beheld the miricle. The snow had fallen in a particular pattern, showing the outline of the future church. When it became known that the snow was a sign from Mary, the people spontaneously added another to her long list of titles - Our Lady of the Snows.
 
This print is part of the "Happy Saint" collection by Anna Morelli.
 
The image is professionally printed, hand-signed by the artist, and comes enclosed in a plastic sleeve to ensure protection.