Dear Friend in Christ,

? We are extremely pleased to announce that our next NOVENA is

IN HONOUR OF THE MOST HOLY FACE OF JESUS

♦ Veneration of the Holy Face of Jesus has its beginning during the very passion of Our Lord, making it one of the oldest devotions in the Christian tradition. According to tradition Saint Veronica encountered Jesus along the Via Dolorosa on the way to Calvary. When she paused to wipe the blood and sweat off his face with her veil, his image was imprinted on the cloth. The event is commemorated by the Sixth Station of the Cross.

♦ Devotions to the Holy Face were approved by Pope Leo XIII in 1895 and Pope Pius XII in 1958.

♦ In the Roman Catholic tradition, the Holy Face of Jesus is used in conjunction with Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ with specific institutions whose focus is such reparations, e.g. the Pontifical Congregation of the Benedictine Sisters of the Reparation of the Holy Face.

♦ 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 wrongdoings 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.”

♦ Saint Thérèse of Lisieux a French nun was also known by the religious name "St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face". Saint Thérèse wrote many prayers to express the devotion to the Holy Face.

♦ The first medal of the Holy Face was offered to Pope Pius XII who approved the devotion and the medal. In 1958, he formally declared the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus as Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)

We begin praying this NOVENA from SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24th

The Feast in honour of THE MOST HOLY FACE OF JESUS is on MARCH 5th!