In 1980 , during the UNIV Forum , an annual gathering of university students from all over the world held in Rome during Holy Week and born by inspiration of Saint Josemaría Escrivá , founder of Opus Dei , a young man taking part in the gathering told Pope John Paul II that he was not able to find an image of Our Lady in St. Peter 's Square , heart of Christendom . In fact , although there are 162 statues of saints , none of them depict the Mother of God . The Pope answered immediately : " then we should finish the square " . When Msgr. Álvaro del Portillo , successor of Saint Josemaría Escrivá , heard this story , he asked the Spanish architect Javier Cotelo to find a good solution for the image . In July 1980 and January 1981 , Cotelo submitted to the Pope a proposal of using one of the windows of the building located between St. Peter 's Square and the Cortile di San Damaso , since from there the image could be seen from any part of the square . The Pope accepted the suggestion and on December 7 , 1981 a mosaic of '' Maria Mater Ecclesiae '' - Our Lady , Mother of the Church - was installed following Cotelo 's proposal . On the following day , feast of the Immaculate Conception , the Pope blessed the mosaic from his window , and therefore this mosaic is considered to be last stone of St. Peter 's Square . Moreover , this mosaic overlooking the square follows the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II 's life . It 's also a tribute to the intercession of Our Lady in saving his life
assassination attempt
Pope John Paul II assassination attempt
Mother of the Church