The History of The Infant of Prague

The History of The Infant of Prague

“The evil that man does lives after him.” In no way, am I proposing to condemn Jan Hus; his writings and heretical theology judge him. When you are present in church or at some type of discussion on the Faith and the teachings of the Magisterium and you think, “Well that’s a heresy, but why make waves! This novelty of disobedience will soon pass away. Heresies have attacked the Church before and She is still standing. Jesus made a promise that hell would not prevail against His Church and He has kept His Promise for over two thousand years.” That’s all well and true, but how many dead bodies were left behind by the disobedience of a few possibly (or not) well-intentioned dissidents! The story of the Infant of Prague cannot be truly told without the background of a nation whose spirituality was buried under an avalanche of radical humanism that would turn into open and blatant revolution.

x

As always, the enemy of God and His Church go after the young and intelligent. Our youth, for centuries on end have sought answers, often at the cost of faith. The Fifteenth Century was a time of grand victory and woeful defeat. Europe was in a turmoil. It had narrowly survived hundreds of years of invasion and domination by the Muslims; and like a baby learning to walk again was oftentimes open to wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Jesus speaks of the narrow gate leading to the Kingdom in Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

In every generation, there will crop up someone promoting a “feel good” religion - no cross; no crucifixion; you can have it your way religion. But sooner or later, as the human heart cannot be satisfied with things of the world, the world wakes up and finds itself filled with an emptiness, accompanied by a longing for that which it lost. The gate wide, it cannot find it’s way back. And this is what happened ultimately to those who chose the wide, easy gate. They woke up one day and groaned to find they were no longer Catholic. One Priest (Hus) took the wide gate offered to him; and because of his action, another Priest (Martin Luther) followed in his footsteps; and as they were shepherds, led many innocent sheep astray.

Related Items for the Infant of Prague

Statues for the Infant of Prague

Infant of Prague Novenas

Infant of Prague Prayer Cards

Books on the Infant of Prague

DVDs on the Infant of Prague

The 15th Century and the Sacraments are under attack

The Fifteenth Century is here and the Eucharist, as well as the other Sacraments, is under attack, and by one who had sworn to be faithful to Mother Church, Her Vicar the Pope, and the teachings of the Magisterium. Jan Hus, a brilliant student, and then Priest, risked his soul and vocation by reading heretical books by John Wycliff, although he knew they had been condemned. And the more he read, the more he drowned in the ocean of false teaching. The enemy, with his tools of Pride and Disobedience which undid Adam and Eve, has been ensnaring their children since the Fall.

It has been said, “A little education is a dangerous thing.” And I believe it has been said, No student is above his teacher. I guess it’s like the road to Heaven. If you stay on the narrow path leading directly to the Kingdom, you will reach your goal, as the road has been paved by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit on the Church Jesus founded. But should you take the wide road, with all its side roads beckoning to you, you are bound to wander deep into a wilderness of doubts and unrest, lost, far from your original goal. And so we find the Europe of the Fifteenth Century. But as we have said before, when Mother Church is under attack, Jesus brings about Miracles, and raises powerful men and women to defend His Church.

The country, where we find ourselves, is the Czech Kingdom, and most especially the beguiling city of Prague. A city of contrasts, Prague reflected the aftermath of Hus and Luther’s influence on a once wholly faithful Catholic nation and city. But nevertheless, in spite of the wild dissemination of heresies fostered by the students of the University, many of whom had either studied under Jan Hus or read his writings, and considered him a hero, a flickering flame of Faith was kept alive, thanks to the strong spiritual influence brought over by the Spaniards.

It’s the 16th Century and a light shines in the darkness

At the beginning of the Sixteenth Century, 1526 to be exact, the Czech Kingdom elected Ferdinand I, of the Hapsburg royal family, king of the Czech nation. The thinking of the Czech nation was with this union they would enjoy the power and prestige associated with being allied to countries ruled by the same royal family. But the question is, What would this bring about in this already Protestant infiltrated nation? Originally coming from the Spanish town of Alcalá de Henares, the new monarch would have an astounding impact on the people.

Ferdinand I had spent his formative years in the court of his grandparents Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille, the same two Catholic monarchs who had routed the Muslims out of Spain after a seven hundred year occupation, and financed Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the New World. Considering the strong influence his grandparents had had on him, it would stand to reason he would bring a strong Catholic influence with him, as well as would the courtiers from the Catholic Court of his native Spain.

Carrying on in the family’s tradition, and following in his grandparents’ footsteps, not only would Ferdinand I have a great influence on the shaping of the world at that time, but his brother, Emperor Charles I would be responsible for financing Cortes’ expedition to Mexico, and the initiation of Catholicism in the New World.

The next two years were filled with struggle for the little community. The Child Jesus had blessed them with peace, but they were struggling, barely making ends meet. But they did not stop praying, first in petition and then in thanksgiving.

(Authors’ aside: “Our community has a prayer: Lord we thank your for that which we understand and that which we do not.”)

The statue of the Child Jesus comes to life

Honoring their faith and their persistent prayer in the face of almost hopelessness, the Child Jesus answered their prayers. Only He came in the person of local citizens bringing alms and food.

One day as Father Cyril was praying before his beloved statue, to the Child Jesus, the statue came to life and began to talk to him: “Be kind to me and I will be kind to you. Give me back my hands that were cut off by the heretics. The more you honor me, the more I will bless you.”

Father Cyril raised his eyes. He couldn’t believe his ears. But it was true! The statue did talk to him! Needless to say, Father went to his Prior and told him what the Child Jesus said. But no matter how he pleaded that the Lord truly wished the repair of his statue, the Prior, because of lack of funds, told him he had to reject his petition. As Father Cyril could not move man’s heart, he turned to God. Shortly after much praying, a nobleman came to Father to hear his confession. He shared that he felt called by God to come to Prague, so that he could prepare for his death by receiving the Sacrament of Penance; and he added, to help the friary. He gave Father Cyril 100 florins.

Father Cyril ran to his Prior, sure he would now give him permission to repair the statue; especially as the repair would cost less than 1 florin. Again the Prior denied Father’s petition, insisting it was not a necessary expenditure and they had too many needs other than the repair of the statue. And then to add salt to the wound, the Prior ordered Father Cyril to remove the statue from the Chapel.

Father Cyril retired to his room. As he cradled the statue lovingly, in his arms, he wept. He struggled; he had a hard time accepting his Prior’s decision. He began to supplicate the Lord to move his Prior’s heart, and at the same time forgive him for refusing to mend the statue, as well as for ordering him to remove the statue from the Altar in the Chapel.

As he was deep in prayer, Our Lady appeared. She made it clear to him that this statue of Her Son - the Infant Jesus was to be venerated by all the faithful. She added, it was Her wish a Chapel be built expressly for that purpose; but that first the statue had to be repaired, as Her Son desired it.

A new Prior is elected

When God wants something, He will move Heaven and earth, it will come to pass. A new Prior is elected! Father Cyril pleaded with him to allow him to repair the statue. The new Prior agreed on the condition the Child Jesus blesses them first. No sooner said than done, a lady of the nobility visited the friary and offered a monetary gift to Father Cyril. He brought it to his Prior, who agreed to give Father Cyril 1/2 florin to repair the statue. When God showers His Graces down from Heaven, it is always beyond our fondest expectations. Who should knock on the friary doors but a nobleman who had received a miracle from the Child Jesus. In thanksgiving, he gave Father Cyril a very handsome donation.

Not only was the statue repaired, Father Cyril was able to have a fine crystal case made, ornately embellished with crystal sconces and baroque carving, in which to enclose the statue of the Infant Jesus. The statue found a home near the sacristy, where the faithful could come and venerate the Child Jesus. And come they did! And pray for the intercession of the Infant Jesus they did!

Miracles begin to happen

Not only did the statue come to the attention of the faithful, but soon people from far and wide were coming to Father Cyril, asking for his help. One in particular was a Count, begging Father to bring the statue to his wife’s bedside as she was dying. He shared, his wife was a cousin of Princess Polyxena, who originally gifted the friars with the statue. He begged Father, explaining that the physicians had done everything physically possible with the scientific knowledge they had, but it was to no avail. Her only hope was through the intercession of the Child Jesus. Would he please bring the statue to his wife?

Father Cyril took the statue to the Count’s home. The Count led him into his wife’s bedroom. The Count called out to his wife to open her eyes that he had brought the statue of the Child Jesus, Who would heal her. Imagine the look on the countess’ face when she beheld the statue of the Infant Jesus, before her, in her room. She cried out with joy. Then she reached up to embrace and kiss the statue of the Infant Jesus. Upon seeing this, her husband exclaimed a miracle had taken place; his wife was healed.

As soon as she was healed and able to rise from bed, the countess visited the friary. She placed a crown made of gold on the Infant’s head and adorned the statue with priceless diamonds and jewels, in thanksgiving for the cure that had come about through the Infant Jesus’ intercession. This is one of the first and best known of the Miracles coming about through the Infant Jesus. When word filtered down, the friary soon became a place of pilgrimage, with the faithful from every walk of life coming, seeking help from the Infant Jesus, and offering thanksgiving for favors received.

All was going well. Miracles upon Miracles were realized through the faith of the people in the intercession of the Infant Jesus. The statue became famous. One day, a very wealthy woman visited the Chapel, in an attitude of prayer and petition. Instead she stole the statue. But thank God, by His Grace the statue was returned; and the guilty one punished. The Carmelites reverently returned the statue to the Chapel.

As its fame continued to grow, along with the Miracles through the Infant Jesus’ intercession, donations came pouring in and the Chapel dedicated to the Child Jesus was built, the Chapel the Blessed Mother had told Father Cyril must be built.

After the Chapel was built, the Cardinal Archbishop was invited to attend the solemn consecration. After he blessed the walls and the Altar, he proclaimed that from that time on, Mass could be said in the Chapel of the Infant Jesus. Through this consecration and obvious approval by the Cardinal Archbishop, the faithful flocked not only from his Archdiocese, but from the neighboring dioceses as well, filtering out then to dioceses from other countries.

The Infant Jesus intervenes

Everyone had a profound love for the Infant Jesus, and those who did not, respected the statue and Whom it represented. There was the case of the invading Swedish troops, who were Protestant. When they invaded Prague, they requisitioned the friary, and made it into a make-shift hospital. But they had a profound respect for the little statue and He Whom it represented. It was reported that none of the wounded in the hospital uttered a profane word about the statue, nor did they make jokes about it and the reverence the Carmelites had for the Child Jesus through this miraculous statue.

The statue had such an impact on the troops, even the commander General was impressed. One day, while reviewing the troops in the friary hospital, he paused in front of the statue and began to pray. He told the Child Jesus that although he was not Catholic, he had a love and respect for Him and His intercession. He went on, what touched him most was the faith and love the faithful had for the Infant Jesus, as they streamed in front of the statue of the Infant. And then, he promised the Child Jesus he would do everything in his power to pull his troops out of the friary as soon as was humanly feasible.

Soon after the wounded were able to move, the Swedish army left Prague. The townspeople credited the miraculous departure to the intercession of the Child Jesus through the statue.

A couple of years passed and the Superior General of the Carmelites visited Prague and the friary. The friars introduced the statue to the Superior General, who, having heard of the spirituality of the faithful in Prague and elsewhere, through devotion to the Child Jesus, said he not only approved of the devotion tenderly shown to the Child Jesus through this miraculous statue, he wanted the friars to broadcast and promote this devotion to all the friaries. Till this day there is a document from the Superior General giving official approval of devotion to the Infant of Prague, posted on the door of the Chapel.

The Bishop of Prague later crowned the statue with a resplendent golden crown; and to this day the faithful of Prague celebrate this solemn ceremony on the Feast of the Ascension. Although the statue of the Infant started with only one garment, It now has 70. It is dressed in regal garments and golden crown to demonstrate our belief that Jesus is the King of the Universe.

Job well done, the Will of the Father was that Father Cyril join Him at the age of 85. We can just envision Heaven and the Child Jesus waiting for him, tiny arms open, outstretched, welcoming him into the Kingdom. As he had well earned a reputation of sanctity and deep affection from the people, lines of mourners seemed to endlessly be streaming by, paying their last respects to this brave and zealous warrior and champion of the Child Jesus. Father Cyril of the Mother of God was declared Venerable by Mother Church.

As with all things of God, devotion to the Infant Jesus did not end with the passing of Father Cyril, its advocate, but continued to spread to all of Europe and eventually to the United States. As He came and died for all, the rich and the poor, the famous and the humble, all had a devotion to the Child Jesus. One of the most beautiful garments the Infant of Prague wears was made by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.

The people of Prague had the Infant, so when catastrophes befell them, they were not alone. On one such occasion, when the Prussians were about to attack Prague the dignitaries of the city went to the Prior of the Carmelite friary and begged him to allow the statue to process through the streets of the city. They believed in that way the city would be spared. The Prior agreed. The citizens of Prague processed with their Little King begging Him for peace. And peace was reached. The Prussians agreed to accept a peaceful surrender by the Czech Army defending Prague with no battle and no blood shed. The Child Jesus not finished caring for His people, the Prussians peacefully departed from Prague, a couple of months later. The siege was over! The faithful and all the citizens of Prague flocked to the church and the statue of the Child Jesus, to bring their heartfelt thanksgiving. Their Lord and God had answered their prayers.

As long as there are men ready to do the devil’s work, there will be strife and heartache. In 1784, 40 years after the Prussians left Prague, the Emperor Franz Josef II expelled the Carmelite friars, and entrusted the Church of the Virgin Mary the Victorius to the Knights of Malta. To add tragedy to trial, without the powerful example, support and dedication of the Carmelites, devotion to the Infant Jesus soon faded away.

Poor Prague was to know no peace. In the 20th Century, the Czech Kingdom first suffered under the Nazis who occupied their land and when they were routed, the Soviet Communists who took over. One godless people after the other, but the Holy Infant of Prague remained in the Church of Our Lady of the Victories, as comfort and hope that the Child Jesus was with them; they were not alone.

Devotion to the Holy Infant spreads to the whole world

This devotion, which began in one solitary city was to spread to all of the Czech Kingdom and Bohemia, to Austria, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, England, Spain, France, and because of their endless devotion to the Bambino Gesu, to Italy. In 1894, the Carmelites appealed to Blessed Cardinal Ferrari, and devotion to the Infant was officially approved in Italy. The Cardinal was so pleased to have the Infant in the Archdiocese of Milan (his Archdiocese), he not only crowned the statue, but lifted the statue onto the Altar himself. There were over 3000 people present at the enthronement of the statue on December 15th. The Cardinal then led the children in prayer and consecrated them all to the Infant Jesus. Through this consecration, devotion spread from the Carmelite friaries and convents to the local parish churches and then to the homes. The Holy Infant had found a home in the hearts of the Italians, which He occupies till today.

Devotion to the Infant spread to all the Carmelite friaries in Italy, right up to and including the friary dedicated to Saint Teresa of Avila in Arenzano. It just came to pass that one of the Fathers in the friary, Father Leopold Beccaro was brother to the founder of the Church of Corpus Domini in Milan, where the statue was enthroned by the Cardinal.

Baby Jesus in Italy

When the enthronement came to the attention of the friars in the friary in Arenzano, they desired to have the Infant in their friary, especially since their Patroness Saint Teresa of Avila (after whom the friary was named) had such a devotion to the Child Jesus. The Prior gathered all the friars together and told them he’d had a desire to put up a picture of the Holy Infant, which he had, for the longest time. The other friars agreed that now was the time to place the picture, where the faithful could come and venerate the Holy Infant. The Prior said the Child Jesus would protect them and all who came and prayed for His intercession.

The laity caught on immediately and welcomed the devotion to the Infant of Prague with all their hearts. Devotion began and Miracles upon Miracles resulted; prayers were answered. The faithful came not only in petition, but now in thanksgiving. Coming to the attention of the Marchioness Delfina Gavotti, she donated a statue, which was an authentically faithful copy of the statue of the Infant of Prague in Prague. The friars gave the statue a place of honor and the faithful came to venerate it in place of the picture which had formerly been placed there by the friars.

Word spread and the faithful came in such numbers, the Chapel was soon too small to accommodate the crowds. They would have to build a fitting church - a Basilica! 1908, it was completed. It took four years from the moment the first block was laid in 1904, to complete the Shrine. On the first Sunday of September, the first church in the world, dedicated to the Infant of Prague, was consecrated. Since then the first Saturday and Sunday of September is celebrated as the solemn Feast Day of that Shrine.

The records of the Shrine read that the success of the building of the Basilica was due to the intercession of the Infant Jesus. The Friars took this to indicate that the Child Jesus wanted this Shrine to be the heart of devotion for all of Italy. In 1905 the friars began publishing a magazine, so that they could keep in touch with the pilgrims who came to the Shrine.

The Pope sends an emissary to the Shrine

As devotion to the Holy Infant grew in Italy, it came to Pope Pius XI’s attention, and he sent an emissary in 1924, Cardinal Merry del Val, to crown the Shrine’s statue of the Infant of Prague, placing his seal of approval on the Shrine and devotion to the Infant of Prague.

As with Mother Angelica and the Temple in Hanceville, Alabama, a statue of the Child Jesus was placed in the courtyard welcoming pilgrims visiting the Shrine, with the express focus of venerating the Infant of Prague. It was 1937, when the statue was placed on a tall column in the square, marking the 30th anniversary of the Shrine. The Statue of the Infant of Prague keeps its promise, speaking clearly to the hearts of those who have ears to hear and eyes to see, “The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you.”

Miracles through the intercession of the Infant of Prague

True to His promise, The Infant of Prague never ceased protecting the citizens of Arenzano. During World War II, a Miracle occurred in October, 1943. Bombers seemed to come from out of nowhere. Bombs flying off course, struck a home where a thirty-three day old baby was sleeping on the third floor. It hit the house, penetrating the roof and three floors. There was no chance the baby could have survived. The mother survived and woman of faith, she immediately turned to the Child Jesus to save her baby. Believing, hope against hope, she ran to what was left of her home and began to dig through the rubble.

Fractured beams were everywhere. With superhuman strength, she lifted the heavy beams. She dug and dug, desperately calling out her baby’s name. Suddenly from under the masses of dirt and destruction, she heard a little voice. She dug her daughter out from under six feet of debris. The mother gave full credit to the Infant of Prague’s intercession.

Another Miracle occurred on August 14, 1944. Bombers were flying overhead fully capable of destroying the entire village of Arenzano. Although bombs fell, there was little damage done. Declaring it a Miracle, the citizens of Arenzano gave full credit to the intercession of the Infant of Prague.

Miracles are happening till today, all over the world. The Carmelite Sisters in Prague reported the following: “One happened to a two year old named Tamara in Brazil. From birth she had disconnected hips and could only walk with difficulty with the help of special equipment, which by the way is kept in our Church of the Infant Jesus of Prague. She could hardly walk. The parents prayed a novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague, and on the 6th day, she could take her first steps without the aid of the equipment that had formerly aided her. The doctors were astonished. The friends could not believe it. The whole family arrived in 1995 in this church, to thank the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague.

 “Another case is the healing of an Indian woman, who had an accident in her youth that paralyzed her. For a long time she had to rest in bed without moving. Once in a dream she saw the Infant Jesus of Prague, and she understood that she could be healed. She prayed the novena to the Infant Jesus, before the statue of the Infant that someone had ordered for her. While praying, she started to observe that gradually the feeling was returning to her feet and to her whole body. After a few weeks she was healed. In about 1994, she arrived here from the USA, as a 70 year old grandmother with her husband and grandchild. All her life she had saved money for this trip to give thanksgiving to the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague.”

It would take several volumes to list all the Miracles attested to, evidenced by the hundreds of ex-votos and expressions of thanksgiving, which line the walls. As your eyes scan the different plaques and letters, you see narrow escapes from death in accidents, miraculous cures of life-threatening illnesses, safe delivery of babies where doctors gave the parents no hope of survival.

Many Miracles have taken place through the anointing with Blessed Oil from the lamps which burn in front of the Infant of Prague statue. This oil is blessed the 25th of every month, during the Sacrifice of the Mass.

This next Miracle took place in 1941. It appears that tetanus threatened the leg and life of one Vicenzo Damonte. His leg had been injured and by the time he was aware of the seriousness of his condition, it was too late. He told his wife to rush him to the hospital. But sadly the doctors there told his wife there was no hope. Tetanus is incurable. Vicenzo called for a Priest, who administered the Sacrament of Extreme Unction or as we used to call it - the Last Rites. Although his wife and children were beside themselves with grief, a fellow parishioner, who happened to be a faithful devotee of the Infant of Prague, suggested they place oil from the Shrine on the leg and commit the healing of the stricken leg to the intercession of the Holy Infant Jesus. They anointed the leg over and over again, offering Vicenzo to the mercy of God. A few days later, Vicenzo was standing, hugging his wife and children. He was completely cured.

Because of the increasing number of pilgrims coming, addition after addition had to be made to the Basilica. The work began in 1962 and was finished in less than four years. It was dedicated by Cardinal Joseph Beran, of Prague, who had been in Nazi detention camps in Italy. The Cardinal gave credit to the intercession of the Infant of Prague for his miraculous survival in the death camps. Although in exile, he said he never felt alone, his faith in the Infant Jesus sustained him. He testified he could feel the Infant shielding him from the inhumane treatment which was par for the course in the camps. It was as if the Child Jesus was hiding him under His cape.

During the ceremony, the Cardinal said, “The smiling Face of the Child Jesus asks us to trust in Him, and His actions confirm this trust we have in Him. How many times I felt that the Little Hand apparently so weak, so tender, is really the all powerful Hand of a King Who rules the world, and lovingly blesses all those who with love respond to His Love.”

Not to be confined to the Continent of Europe, God chose an Italian Nun to bring this devotion to the United States - Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini. She was so devoted to the Child Jesus, she had a statue of the Infant of Prague placed in all the houses she founded.

The Holy Infant in Prague

As the Infant of Prague was having much success reaching the people in Italy, especially in Arenzano, worship was non-existent in the war-torn Czech Kingdom. Any devotion, including devotion to the Infant of Prague, was a dim, fading memory to the very old; and not even that to the young only exposed to the athetisic church, allowed by the Communists, who had taken over their land. The Carmelite friars were unable to reopen the friary, no less the church where the Infant of Prague remained miraculously untouched. Only a few older worshippers would go and pray before the Infant of Prague, at the risk of their lives had they been caught. They prayed unceasingly for peace and the restoration of their country once more to freedom from tyranny. They were tired, but not without hope. They believed that the Child Jesus, Who is King of kings can and will do anything for His children.

As long as there are those who believe, even one soul, the Church will not die. Carmelite Nuns were deported and sent far from Prague, but that did not stop them from spreading devotion to the Infant. They painted pictures of the Infant of Prague and those who remained in their native land clandestinely secreted them out of the Czech Kingdom to other convents in Europe.

In 1989, the Berlin wall fell, and through the grace of God, during the “Velvet Revolution” the Communist government in the Czech Kingdom also fell and the Czech Republic rose, with at last freedom to worship. The churches and the friaries were reopened. The new Archbishop invited the Carmelites to return and handed over custodianship of the Church of Our Lady of the Victories to them. In 1994, two young Carmelites left Arenzano for Prague, their focus to bring back devotion to the Infant of Prague and to foster the Carmelite Order in this vocation-rich country. Devotion to the statue had gone

The Nazi regime ended and a new tyranny began. From 1948 until 1989, Czechoslovakia was ruled by a communist government under the occupation and domination of the U.S.S.R. (or Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). Tired of being under another iron fist, an underground army rose; and through them a bloodless coup brought about the end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia. Because of its dove-like, peaceful character, the coup was dubbed the Velvet Revolution. In 1989, after the fall of communism, Czechoslovakia was restructured as two individual independent nations - the Czech Republic and Slovkia, as they are known till today. 21

Edith Stein - Saint Teresa Blessed by the Cross

I would like to close this chapter with a quotation by Edith Stein. In 1942, although surrounded by horror and devastation, months before she was to die a Martyr in Auschwitz, Edith Stein, (Carmelite Sister Teresa Blessed by the Cross, later canonized Saint Teresa Blessed by the Cross) prophesied the ultimate victory of good over evil: “Jesus, the Child of Prague, eternally bears an imperial crown and it is not by chance that he appeared with the fullness of His Power in Prague.

 “Prague has been for centuries the seat of the ancient German rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and to this day gives an impression of great majesty.

“For isn’t He the Heavenly Ruler, Who will put an end to every suffering? He holds the reins in His Hands even if human beings think they rule by themselves.”

“And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to Him, `Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ He answered, `I tell you if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.’” Luke 19:39-40

For more on Martyr Edith Stein, please read Bob and Penny Lord’s book, “Martyrs, They died for Christ.”

quotation by Saint Edith Stein (or Saint Teresa Blessed by the Cross), taken from The Little King by Sister Giovanna della Croce c.sc 22

Related Items for the Infant of Prague

Statues

Novenas

Prayer Cards

Books on the Infant of Prague

DVDs on the Infant of Prague

Prayer to the Infant of Prague

O Infant Jesus, I have recourse to You and ask You through the intercession of Your Holy Mother to help me in my need, for I firmly believe that Your Divinity can help me. I hope in complete trust, to obtain Your holy grace. I love You with all my heart and with all the strength of my soul. I am truly sorry for all my sins, and beg You, O Good Jesus, to give me strength to conquer them. I shall never offend You. I am ready to suffer rather than cause You pain. From now on I want to serve with complete faithfulness and, for love of You, O Divine Child, I will love my neighbor as myself. Grant me the grace of possessing You eternally, with Mary and Joseph and of adoring You with the holy angels in Your heavenly court.

About the Authors:

Bob and Penny Lord are renowned Catholic authors of many best selling books about the Catholic Faith. They are hosts on EWTN Global Television and have written over 25 books. They are best known as the authors of “Miracles of the Eucharist books.” They have been dubbed, “Experts on the Saints.”