February 17: Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus
Veneration of the Holy Face of Jesus has its beginning during the passion of Our Lord, making it one of the oldest devotions in the Christian tradition. This devotion originated when the sacred image of Our Lord miraculously appeared on St. Veronica’s Veil. St. Veronica, as a sign of her love and compassion, offered Jesus a veil to wipe the blood and sweat from His face as He carried His cross. Jesus left an impression of His Holy Face upon the veil. This meeting of Our Lord and St. Veronica is one of the Stations of the Cross, the 6thStation.
According to tradition, St. Veronica later entrusted the veil to Pope St. Clement, the third Bishop of Rome. For the next three centuries the Holy Veil was kept in the Roman catacombs during the early persecutions of the Church. Eventually Veronica’s Veil was placed in the Basilica of St. Peter and kept there until the present day.
In 1846 Our Lord, in visions to Sister Marie of St. Peter, requested that a devotion to His Holy Face be established, also known as the “Golden Arrow.” The purpose of this devotion was to make amends for the sins in the world, as well as to request special intentions. Special prayers and promises were given to Sister Marie from Our Lord, who said:
“All who honor My Holy Face in a spirit of reparation thereby perform for Me the services of the pious Veronica.”
Soon after the death of Sister Marie, in 1849, a revolution erupted in the Papal States.
Pope Pius IX ordered public prayers to be offered in Rome to implore God’s mercy, and Veronica’s Veil was put on display for public veneration for three days. On the third day the features of Our Lord, normally faded, became distinctly seen and surrounded by a soft halo of light. This lasted for three hours and was documented by Vatican officials.
After the miracle of the Holy Veil, it was customary to have copies of the Holy Face made. These copies would then be touched to the original Veil, making them objects of devotion. A devout man named Leo Dupont hung one of these copies in his home, accompanied by an oil lamp. Those who would say the devotional prayers and anoint themselves with oil from his lamp would receive healing. For the next 30 years, many miracles of healing occurred in his home through adoration of the Holy Face.
Because of the many miracles credited to the Holy Face, Pope Leo XIII in 1885 established the devotion as an Archconfraternity for the entire world. St. Therese of Lisieux and her family were members of this archconfraternity. She was faithful to this devotion and she took as her religious name, “St. Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face.” In April
1958, Pope Pius XII approved the observance of a Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus on Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday).