The  woman  who  had  obstinately  refused  to  part
with  the  picture,  was  at  last  softened  and  subdued  by
the  sudden  death  of  her  husband,  by  the  miracle
wrought  in  favor  of  her  friend,  and  by  the  repeated
warnings  of  Our  Blessed  Lady.  Once  for  all,  she
determined  to  surrender  the  Sacred  Image.
But  to  which  of  the  300  churches  in  Rome  was  it  to
be  given  ?  To  the  Church  of  St.  Alphonsus  ?  No-
for  St.  Alphonsus  was  not  born  till  200  years  later.
Our  Blessed  Lady  herself  soon  pointed  out  the  church
in  which  she  wished  to  receive  public  homage  in  Rome.
Appearing  again  to  the  little  child,  She  said:  "Our
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  wills  to  be  publicly  honored
between  St.  Mary  Major's  and  St.  John  Lateran's."
Her  will  could  not  have  been  expressed  with  greater
clearness.  Between  St.  Mary  Major's  and  St.  John
Lateran's  there  was  only  one  road,  which  was  called
Via  Merulana.  On  that  road  there  was  only  one  church
-  that  of  St.  Matthew,  in  charge  of  the  Augustinian
Fathers.  To  this  church,  therefore,  so  unmistakably
determined  by  Our  Lady,  the  widow  took  the  picture
and  offered  it  to  the  Prior,  at  the  same  time  telling
him  its  past  history.  With  a  heart  full  of  gratitude
to  Mary,  he  accepted  the  venerated  treasure,  and  at


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once  began  to  prepare  a  suitable  place  for  it  in  his
church.
