History of the Devotion to the Holy Face

History of the Devotion to the Holy Face

Veronica wipes Our Lord's face with her veil and an image of His Holy Face miraculously appears on the veil. The relic of the veil is kept safely intact throughout the centuries.

1843-1847: Sister Mary of St. Peter, a Carmelite nun in Tours France experiences a series of revelations from Our Lord about a powerful devotion He wished to be established worldwide - the devotion to His Holy Face. The express purpose of this devotion was to make reparation for the numerous blasphemies and profanities taking place in the world but was also established as a means through which we can all appeal to God for anything we wish.

The devotion revealed by Our Lord to Sister Mary of St. Peter consists primarily of reciting the "Golden Arrow Prayer" and the "Litany of the Holy Face". It also consists of some additional prayers said with a chaplet (or small rosary) and wearing of a Holy Face Cross (also called "Protection Cross") engraved with the words "Blessed be the Name of God" on the front and "Begone, Satan!" on the back.

1849: Shortly after the death of Sister Mary of St. Peter, Pope Pius IX ordered public prayers be offered in all churches in Rome to implore God's mercy on the Papal States due to revolution occurring at the time. As part of these public prayers, a three-day exposition of the relic of Veronica's veil was held for public veneration at St. Peter's Basilica. On the third day of the showing, a miracle occurred through which Our Lord's face on the veil became very distinct and glowed with a soft light. The miracle lasted for three hours, was witnessed by crowds of people, and was attested to by an apostolic notary during the incident. That same evening copies of the effigy were made and touched to the relic of Veronica's veil and later sent abroad.

1849-1876: Two of the copies were sent to Leo Dupont who continued the Holy Face devotion on his own throughout the rest of his life until 1876. Leo Dupont hung one of these images in his parlor and kept a crystal oil lamp in front of it, lit continuously as a sign of veneration. Soon afterward miracles of healings started to occur to those who said the devotion with Leo Dupont ("Golden Arrow Prayer", the "Litany of the Holy Face") and who anointed themselves with oil from his lamp. These miracles continued for 30 years and were so numerous that Pope Pius IX declared Leo Dupont to be perhaps one of the greatest miracle workers in Church history!

1885: This special devotion was also established by Pope Leo XIII as an arch confraternity; and contrary to custom, He immediately established it for the ENTIRE WORLD.

1885-1897: It was a well-known fact the St. Therese of Lisieux and her family registered as members of the Archconfraternity of Reparation to the Holy Face at Tours France and that St. Therese herself was so devoted to this that she added the title to her name at the time she took the habit. This is why you will often see her referred to as St. Therese of the Child Jesus "and of the Holy Face".

1900-1945: Mother Pierina, a holy nun who died in 1945, was urged in many visions by the Blessed Mother and Jesus Himself to spread the devotion to the Holy Face, in reparation for the many insults Jesus suffered in His Passion, such as to be slapped, spit upon and kissed by Judas, as well as now being dishonored in many ways in the Blessed Sacrament by neglect, sacrileges and profanations.

She was given a medal, which on one side bore a replica of the Holy Shroud and the inscription: “Illumina, Domine, vultum tuum super nos”. - Ps. 66-I “May, O Lord, the light of Thy countenance shine upon us”.) On the reverse side was a radiant Host, with the words, “Mane nobiscum, Domine”. – “Stay with us, O Lord”. Many attach the Protection Cross with the Holy Face medal (you can wear the Holy Face Scapular instead of the Holy Face medal). It should be noted that the Holy Face Protection Cross is exclusively to be worn by members of the Arch confraternity of the Holy Face, while the Holy Face medal or scapular is for anyone who feels called to this devotion in any capacity.

After great difficulties, Sister Pierina obtained permission to have the medal cast. Even the expenses for the casting were miraculously met when she found on her desk an envelope with the exact amount of the bill – 11,2000 lire.

1940: When the Second World War had the world in turmoil, Italy saw a wide distribution of the medal: soldiers, sailors and pilots were provided with the replica of the Holy Face since the medal was already famous for its miracles and countless spiritual and temporal favors.

The very first medal of the Holy Face was offered to our glorious Pontiff, Pius XII; then the whole world became acquainted with this special object of holy favors and devotion. No soldier taken as a prisoner of war, and who wore the medal was ever executed. Our Blessed Lord requested that a special feast be instituted to honor His Holy Face on Shrove Tuesday.

1958: Pope St. Pius XII obeyed and had this day set aside to honor the Holy Face.

In the words of Our Lord to Sister Pierina:

“By My Holy Face you will obtain the conversion of numberless sinners. Nothing that you ask in making this offering will be refused you. According to the care you take in making reparation To My Face, disfigured by blasphemers, I will take care of yours, which has been disfigured by sin. I will reprint on it My Image, and render it as beautiful as it was on leaving the Baptismal Font. I promise personal and spiritual protection to all who venerate this medal.”

Feast Day

The Feast Day of the Holy Face is on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday & Trinity Sunday

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons