Infant Jesus of Prague
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Infant Jesus of Prague (Pražské Jezulátko in Czech) is a famous statue of infant Jesus located in the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Malá Strana, Prague. Its history started in the beginning of the 17th century when a statue of the Infant Jesus was brought into Bohemia by a Spanish Princess. This princess had been given the statue as a wedding gift by her mother, Maria Manriquex de Lara of Spain, and the statue eventually was given to the Discalced Carmelites in Prague. The statue was set up in the oratory of the monastery, and twice a day, special devotions to Jesus were performed before it.
Disturbances in Bohemia due to the Thirty Years War brought an end to the special devotions, and on November 15, 1631, the army of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden took possession of the churches of the capital city of Bohemia. The Carmelite monastery was plundered by the Lutheran Protestant Swedish, and the image of the Infant of Prague was thrown into a pile of rubbish behind the altar. Here it lay forgotten for seven years until it was found again in 1637. Since then, the statue has remained in Prague and has drawn many devotees worldwide to go and honor the Holy Child. Claims of blessings, favors and miraculous healings have been made by many who petitioned before the Infant Jesus.
The exact origin of the Infant Jesus statue was not truly known, but historical sources point to a small 28cm high sculpture of the Holy Child with a bird in his right hand carved in around the year 1340. Many other Infant Jesus sculptures were also carved by famous masters throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.
Today, thousands of pilgrims pay homage to the Infant of Prague each year. The tradition of the Infant Jesus procession and the coronation continues to this day. On May 27, 1995, a solemn procession of the Infant Jesus took place in the streets of Prague with Cardinal Sin of Manila (Philippines) and Cardinal Vlk of Prague leading the procession. This ceremony was the closing highlight of the annual Feast of the Infant Jesus in Prague.
As the devotion to the Infant Jesus spreads throughout the world, many parishes now offer Holy Mass and novenas to honor the statue of the Holy Child Jesus, Son of God and many prayer groups have been formed.
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[edit] Bibliography
- The Infant of Prague, by the Reverend Ludvik Nemec, Benziger Brothers, 1958.
- Miraculous Images of Our Lord, by Joan Carroll Cruz, OCDS, TAN Books and Publishers, Inc, 1995. ISBN 0-89555-496-8
- Holy Infant Jesus, by Ann Ball & Damian Hinojosa, The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2006. ISBN 0-8245-2407-1
- Devotion to the Infant of Prague, TAN Books and Publishers, Inc, 1962/75.
[edit] Churches
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago operates Infant Jesus of Prague Parish and School in Flossmoor, Illinois.
[edit] See also
In Ireland (North and South) some brides will place a child of Prague statue outside their house the night before their wedding. This is meant to ensure that there will be good weather for the wedding day.
