Fr. Daren Zehnle, a 47-year old Roman Catholic priest from the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, passed away on November 27th after suffering a stroke. He was born on March 26, 1978, in Quincy, Illinois. His short life was marked by profound loss–he was a twin, but had lost his brother Matthew shortly after birth. By the age of ten he had already lost both his parents; his father, Bill, at eight, and his mother, Pat, at the age of ten to brain cancer. Fr. Zehnle found solace in his faith, “It might seem strange to say that my parents’ death led me to God, but they did, I realized somehow that I needed to draw close to — and stay close –to God. I felt safe, at peace, and comforted when I prayed.” Fr. Daren was ordained a priest on May 28, 2005, by Bishop George J. Lucas.
Relic Veil of the Holy Face in Manoppello, Italy (Photo: Patricia Enk)
Fr. Daren Zehnle at the altar. (sent by Antonio Bini)
Fr. Zehnle had a deep love and devotion to the Holy Face of Manoppello in Italy, which he wrote about often on his “Servant and Steward” blog. (link is to a conference talk, in which he gave a beautiful reflection, on the Face of Mercy–the Holy Face of Manoppello.) It was through a shared devotion of the Holy Face that I was fortunate enough to get to know him while he was pursuing a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He went on to hold various positions, including Parochial Vicar at St. Anthony of Padua Parish. Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, and director of campus ministry at Quincy University. Fr. Daren also had a very special devotion to Venerable Augustus Tolton, and St. Damien of Molokai. He was known as an extraordinary priest, and a faithful and good shepherd, and will be very missed by all who knew him. In an interview with “Catholic Times” last year, when asked what he would say to his loved ones when he meets them in heaven, he replied with moving simplicity: “I expect they will say to me what I will probably say to them, “I’ve missed you.”
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. Through the mercy of God, may he Rest In Peace. Amen.
Fr. Zehnle sent Antonio Bini this photo as well. Antonio had met Fr. Zehnle many times when he visited The Basilica Shrine of the Holy Face in Manoppello–he remembers him as “Always smiling, positive, and deeply devoted to the Holy Face, which he enthroned on April 9, 2023, Easter Sunday, in St. Augustine Church in Ashland, Illinois, where he was a parish priest.
Jesus Christ is our God and King, and yet… He is also very much hidden and unknown, except through the eyes of Faith. He is a King who chooses to come to us in the most humble form of bread and wine in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
We are surrounded on every side by invisible, supernatural realities which require the gift of Faith. But God comes to our aid in our weakness, even in our own time, there have been Eucharistic Miracles; the extraordinary manifestations of the invisible reality of Christ’s Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity being truly present in the Eucharist.
Vilakannur Miracle. Priest holds carefully in his hands the Holy Eucharist on which the Face of Christ Miraculously appeared during Mass.
It was Pope St. John Paul II who first coined the phrase “Eucharistic Face of Christ.” These words from the fourth Psalm were the inspiration for him to place the millennium under “the radiant sign of the Face of Christ:”
“Many are saying ‘Who will show us anything good?’ Lift up the light of Your Face upon us, LORD!” (Ps. 4:6)
St. Pope John Paul II “In the Eucharist, the Face of Christ is turned towards us.”
Dr. Brant Pitre, writes in his book “Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, that the Eucharist was prefigured by the manna that God gave to Moses: “When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it? For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “it is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.” (Exodus 16:15) The Eucharist was also prefigured by the mysterious “Bread of the Presence” also known as the “Bread of the Face of God” mentioned in Exodus. On special feasts, the Bread of the Presence would be brought out for pilgrims to see, and the priests would declare, “Behold God’s love for you!”
St. Pio at the moment of Consecration, when the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
Paten viewed through the Veil of the Holy Face of Manoppello. (Photo: Paul Badde)
Jesus said to them, Amen, Amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from Heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world… I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” (John 6: 32-35) “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)
We should use whatever means at our disposal to share this good news to draw souls to Christ Our King.
Therefore, I would like to share a beautiful and powerful short film, “The Real Presence: The Mass” to awaken hearts to the truth of the Eucharist and reveal what is really happening at every Catholic Mass. This 28-minute video reveals the unseen spiritual reality behind the Catholic Mass– through scenes from an actual Mass, and the use of artistically augmented reality–the “unseen spiritual reality” such as the participation of the angels and saints, and the mystical beauty of the liturgy is portrayed in the film — including the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, Our King, Who heals, forgives and transforms us into His own Image — Our King, Who is truly present in the Eucharist.
The film also features commentary from Nationally recognized Catholic theologians and speakers such as: Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, Dr. Scott Hahn, Sr. Bethany Madonna of the Sisters of Life, Curtis A. Martin, Sr. Briege McKenna, His Eminence Christophe Cardinal Pierre, Bishop Erik T. Pohlmeier, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Fr. Robert Spitzer, and Bishop David L. Toups.
Please share this excellent film with others!
(To read more about Eucharistic miracles: “Behold God’s Love for You” (St. Carlo Acutis’s passion to share miracles of the Eucharist through a website.) And “A Relic of Divinity”. (The recently approved Eucharistic Miracle in Kerala, India; the Face of Jesus Christ appearing on a Host during the Consecration of the Mass.)
Photo: by Paul Badde, of the Basilica Shrine of the Holy Face in Manoppello, Italy.
Paul Badde, beloved friend of so many around the world, passed away last night in his home. He died just a short distance from his beloved Holy Face held in the Basilica Shrine of Il Volto Santo, in Manoppello, Italy. Paul passionately believed in, studied, and sacrificed to spread the word of the “re-discovery” of the miraculous Veil of the Holy Face. May he rest in peace, and may God reward Paul for all he has done for love of Christ Jesus and His Blessed Mother.
The Holy Face of Manoppello and Paul Badde(CNS photo/Paul Haring)
Please pray for the repose of his soul and for the consolation of his wife, Ellen and their family.
May Paul, our brother in Christ, gaze on God’s Face for all eternity! Holy Face of Manoppello, (Photo: Paul Badde/EWTN)
Pope Benedict XVI meets Sr. Blandina Paschalis Schlomer on his visit to the Sanctuary of the Holy Face in Manoppello, as Fr. Heinrich Pfeiffer, and a very happy Paul Badde look on.
A statement from the Basilica Volto Santo di Manoppello:
” Paul Badde has returned to the Father’s House.
Born in Germany, near Aachen, in 1948, a former teacher of political history, Badde worked as a journalist at the prestigious German newspaper “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” and from 2000 to 2013 was the Jerusalem and Rome correspondent for “Die Welt,”
Since discovering the existence of the Holy Face, Paul has never had any doubts that it was the authentic image of the human and divine Face of Christ, and as a scholar, he has authored numerous pioneering volumes of historic and theological studies on the important relic preserved in the Abruzzo town. Among others, we recall “The Second Shroud”[his first book about the Sudarium] in 2006, which, translated into several languages, was a veritable springboard for knowledge of the Holy Face throughout the world and consequently for the spread of devotion to it; as well as the Manoppello treasure of 2017 and the important booklet, “Jesus in His Burial Cloths.”
Paul Badde, along with his wife Ellen, his great supporter and ever-present companion in his travels and research, had spent many years in Manoppello, right near the Basilica of the Holy Face, thus becoming not only part of the community but a true point of reference for all.
The Capuchin Friars of the Sanctuary and all the faithful, grateful for his kind and discreet presence, will always remember Paul with great affection and gratitude and extend their deepest sympathies to his wife Ellen and his entire family.
Dear Paul, after having venerated Him so much on this earth, you are now finally contemplating the Face of God in Heaven. Lord, we pray with all our hearts that the light of Your endless glory may shine upon Paul eternally and console the family in this moment of grief following the earthly separation from their beloved relative.”
–Seraphic Province of the Immaculate Conception OFM Cap., Municipality of Manoppello.
Pope Benedict XVI with Paul Badde on the occasion of the Pope’s pilgrimage to see The Holy Veil in 2006.
Paul Badde contemplating the Holy Veil of Manoppello Photo: Alan Holdren
What an honor it has been to know Paul Badde; God bless his memory!
Msgr. Walter Amaducci presents a copy of his book on the Holy Face of Manoppello to Pope Leo XIV
English edition of Msgr. Amaducci’s book “The Holy Face.”
First, some good news: This October, Msgr. Walter Amaducci, Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Care in the Diocese of Cesena in Emilia-Romagne, was received in a private audience by Pope Leo XIV. During their cordial meeting, Msgr. Amaducci presented the Pope with a copy of his book on the Holy Face of Manoppello. Msgr. Amaducci, who was once a skeptic of the relic veil known as “Il Volto Santo,” has now become its ardent defender, recognizing in the remarkable history, its importance for this millennium–dedicated to the Face of Christ by Pope St. John Paul II.
During his meeting with Pope Leo XIV, the gracious Msgr. Amaducci also advised the Holy Father to seek further information about the relic from Cardinal Louis Antonio Tagle, who has been personally involved in spreading the good news of the Holy Veil of Manoppello for many years.
Padre Carmine Cucinelli, the former Rector of Basilica Sanctuary of the Holy Face and Cardinal Tagle (2017)
On his first visit to see the Holy Face of Manoppello, on May 20, 2017, Cardinal Tagle, shared his experience: (Translation from the original Italian interview, which may be seen here.) — “I saw the Holy Face under the changing of the light, not only a Face of tenderness, but of welcoming. I saw a Face smiling at me, almost saying, “Welcome Luis Antonio!” It is a Face that speaks, it is alive, yes, it is the message, the Word is the Face. It is also a Face turned towards me, but I did not feel fear; fear in front of a judge, or of a face which condemns. A Face of Truth, and the Truth is love; love wins out over fear. I thought this afternoon perhaps this is the Last Judgement–it is not a judgement full of fear and dread, but in front of pure love–I do not want to hide myself. There is no reason to hide myself, but, there is only the reason to open my heart in front of a Face open to love, open to welcoming, open to pardoning my mistakes. It is an experience of liberation, and religious experience for me.”
Cardinal Tagle elevating the Body of Christ at the Basilica Shrine of the Holy Face of Manoppello, Italy (Photo: Paul Badde/EWTN)
At the closing of Cardinal Tagle’s homily the next day, May 21, 2017, he said: “We see the Face of Jesus because He reveals His Face to us, the Face of the loving God. His is the Face of God turned towards us and not centered on Himself. His is the Face of the One who fulfilled the commandment of love. As we see and hear His Face may our faces be transformed into His Holy Face. Through the testimony of our faces, may the suffering people of the world know that Jesus sees them, listens to them, cares for them and loves them.”
A Blessed Encounter with the Holy Face of Jesus
(Photo: Patricia Enk)
Cardinal Tagle has also said, “What we have seen and heard we must share with others.”
Mountain “The Catholic Traveler” Butorac stands next to the Relic Veil of the Holy Face in the Basilica Shrine of Il Volto Santo in Manoppello, Italy. (Photo: Patricia Enk)
And so, I would like to share with tremendous gratitude in my heart, that I have just returned from a Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage, which brought me back to Rome, Assisi, Loreto and especially to Manoppello after far too many years–thanks to Mountain Butorac, a.k.a. “The Catholic Traveler.”
Earlier this year Mountain had led my husband and I on an exceptional pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and so now we have a great deal of confidence in the gifts and talents that God has given him to make even the most daunting pilgrimage journey happen–with as few bumps along the way as possible–and many joyful and holy surprises as well.
And speaking of joy and holy surprises… we saw the Pope!
Pope Leo XIV recognizing some very happy & shouting pilgrims from the “Windy City.” (Photo: Patricia Enk)
My last visit to the Basilica Shrine of “Il Volto Santo” was in the Jubilee Year of Mercy, in 2016–which we had traveled to on our own over nine years ago: (Pilgrimage — A Journey Toward the Face of God, Part 1 – Manoppello.) Much had happened in the following nine years which prevented our return; some good and some bad; including the loss of my eyesight for over a year, and after several surgeries–a gradual recovery–thanks be to God!
Sr. Petra-Maria, Cynthia Krystyna Simla reverencing the Holy Face relic. (Photo: Patricia Enk, 2016)
For this pilgrimage journey, our small group of fellow pilgrims were a continual source of unexpected blessing, help, and inspirations at each step along the way. Mountain shouldered the stress whenever “the best laid plans of mice and men” went a little astray, but with the end result always turning out even better than originally planned: such as the day that the Sistine Chapel was going to be closed to the public when we had been scheduled to visit. The reason was the historic meeting of King Charles with Pope Leo XIV. The King the the Pope would be praying together for the first time in 500 hundred years, under the backdrop of Michelangelo’s “Last Judgement.” Only a few hours before that grand event, after strolling peacefully alone through the Vatican Museum, we were surprised when our group had been allowed to enter the Sistine Chapel with no one else present–except some very diligent cleaning ladies preparing for the Pope and King, and a handful of very Vatican official-looking men in suits. (No photos in the Sistine Chapel, of course.)
Biographer of Carlo Acutis, and custodian of his relics, Mons. Anthony Figueiredo, gave the group a wonderful talk on St. Francis connecting to the spirituality of St. Carlo Acutis.
Miracles do happen! And there were many more to come… a surprise blessing with the relics of St. Carlo Acutis in Assisi, Mass in the dark silence of the Holy House of Loreto, the sight of the oldest Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano…and for myself; the tremendous grace to see, through grateful tears once again, the great gift the human Face of my Risen Lord on the Holy Veil of Manoppello, and with renewed Hope in the power of the Resurrection of Christ.
Pope St. John Paul has said: “Contemplation of Christ’s Face cannot stop at the image of the Crucified One. He is the Risen One!” The Holy Face of Manoppello is the Face of the Risen Christ; it is believed to be the “Cloth that Covered His Head” in the tomb.
“Those who gaze on it [the relic Veil of the Holy Face] are never satisfied with contemplating it, and wish to always have it before their eyes. And when they eventually leave it, with heavy sighs full of love, they are forced to leave Him their hearts, bathed in tears.” –Capuchin Donato da Bomba 1646. (Paul Badde’s beautiful photo of Il Volto Santo of Manoppello)
Continuing his catechesis on the Jubilee theme of Jesus Christ, Our Hope, Pope Leo XIV asks us “to consider how the Resurrection of Jesus fulfills the desires of every human heart. Our lives are marked by conflicting situations that reveal limitations and our desire to overcome them. We seek worldly recognition and whether we receive it or not, we still feel empty. This reveals that we are not truly satisfied with achievements and passing certainties of the world. This is because we are created in the image and likeness of God, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we recognize an inexhaustible longing in our hearts for something more. It is only the Resurrected Jesus who can give the only true and lasting peace that sustains and fills us. In a world struggling with fatigue and despair, let us be signs of hope, peace, and joy in the Risen Lord!” (Pope Leo XIV, October 15, 2025 Audience)
(Photo: Jerry Christopher) Entering the Holy Door Deo Gratias!
Illumina Domine Blog - Devotion to The Holy Face 