The “Peregrinatio Mariae Mondiale” was a prophetic intuition of a Capuchin friar of Loreto, Fr. Giovanni Maria Leonardi. After a prayer to the Holy Spirit and invoking the intercession of Our Lady, he wrote a letter – dated December 8, 1995 – to His Holiness John Paul II, asking to be allowed to organize, as preparation (invitation) to the big jubilee of the Holy Year 2000, a “Peregrinatio Mariae” throughout all Christian Nations.
Several religious (ecclesiastic – clerical) groups were informed and involved of this, in particular the groups of Renewal in the Holy Spirit.
On September 26th 1997, in Jerusalem, the Rev. Fr. Giuseppe Nazzaro, Custos of the Holy Land, gave his full approval to this proposal and authorized Fr. Giovanni Maria Leonardi to organize the “Peregrinatio”.
In order to organize the best way this pilgrimage, a twinning, between the Sanctuary of the Holy House of Loreto (AN) and the Capuchin Fathers of the County Marche was organized.

A new statue of Our Lady, Mary of Nazareth, to be carved in wood according to precise indications of the Rev. Fathers, was ordered to and created by the artist Gregor Mussner of Ortisei, which statue prooved at once to be of great beauty.

The “peregrinatio” started on March 8th, 1998 from the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth and reached Loreto for the festivity of the “Annunciation” (25th March).
On the April 15th “Mary of Nazareth” was crowned by His Holiness Pope John Paul II.
on the place in front of the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome.
After this date, and up to Christmas 1999, when she returned to Bethlehem, “Mary of Nazareth” visited, during her pilgrimage through the world, 35 nations in all five continents.
In everyone of her stops she was received by multitudes of faithful people with great solemnity and devotion, promoting thus the devotion to Mary the Mother of Jesus.