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!
“Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists.” (Heb. 11:1)
The Holy Face of Jesus Christ–the Beatific Vision–is at the center of the Angelic Worship.
Devotion to the Holy Face of Christ is a sign of hope for the world.
Although the world seems a hopeless mess, the Jubilee Year of Hope reminds us that there is indeed many reasons to hope. We can hope for eternal life with God in Heaven–to one day see Him face to face. “Hope is the confident expectations of divine blessing and the beatific vision of God; it is also the fear of offending God and incurring His punishment.” (CCC 2090) Hebrews 11:1 states: “…what we hope for can come about,” and we can also be certain that what we cannot see exists.”
Humanity is in the midst of a battle for souls, but those who follow Christ–God’s “little ones”–can be certain in the hope that they are also being defended and fought for by the Angels and Saints. But the greatest aid that falls within their own power is the devotion to the Face of Jesus Christ as characterized by Pope Benedict XVI:
1. Discipleship – an encounter with Jesus, to see Jesus in the Face of those in need. 2. The Passion of Jesus, and suffering expressed by images of the wounded Face of Jesus. 3. The Eucharist, “the great school in which we learn to see The Face of God”, which is woven between the other two. The eschatological element then builds on awakening to Christ by contemplating His Face hidden in The Eucharist.
Pope Benedict XVI contemplates the Face on the Veil of Manoppello. September 1, 2006. (Photo: Paul Badde/EWTN)
“Our whole life should be directed toward encountering Him,” writes Benedict, “toward loving Him; and in it, a central place must be given to love of one’s neighbor, that love that in the light of The Crucified One, enables us to recognize the Face of Jesus in the poor, the weak, the suffering.” The pope goes on to explain the fruits of this contemplation: “From contemplation of the Face of God are born, joy, security, Peace.”
St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, Doctor of the Church, teaches us the “Little Way” of child-like confidence in God.
To be one of God’s “little ones” is to be the greatest in His Kingdom; requiring child-like confidence, humility and trust in God’s all-mighty power, mercy, and love. In the Gospel of Matthew we read: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. and whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea… See that you do not despise one of the little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” (Mt. 18:2-7, 10)
The Holy Angels have worshipped and served Christ from the Incarnation to the Resurrection, and when He comes again, they will announce the Last Judgement. “With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. They ‘always behold the Face of my Father who is in heaven (Mt. 18:10) ‘they are the mighty ones who do his word, ‘hearkening to the voice of His word.(Ps 103:20)'” (CCC 329)
“When the dragon saw that it had been thrown down to each, it pursued the woman who had given birth to a male child.” (Rev. 12:13)
“Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. Although the dragon and his angels fought back, they were overpowered and lost their place in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent known as the devil or Satan, the seducer of the whole world, was driven out; he was hurled down to earth and his minions with him” (Rev. 12)
“Who is like God!” St. Michael, holds before us the Holy Face of Jesus. (Sculpture by Cody Swanson, Old St. Patrick’s New Orleans. photo: Patricia Enk)
The center of this battle raging between Angels and demons –in heaven and on earth — is the Incarnate Word of God made flesh, Jesus Christ. It is Jesus–in His “little ones”–who is rejected, reviled and persecuted. The devil, who knows his time is short, wants to obliterate the Face of God, not only in churches that have vandalized and desecrated, but in the souls of human beings. The battle lines have been drawn between the culture of life and the culture of death–especially of the littlest and weakest among us. The devil’s particular object of hatred is the woman and the unborn. Some can no longer recognize that a child in the womb is a human being. Many persons reject their God-given identity as male and female. Racial hatred is causing deeper and deeper division, and human trafficking increases as humanity is blinded to the Face of God in their neighbor made in His image and likeness. Now Ai presents new threats to humanity, reducing a human person to a number; an algorithm.
The Holy Angels and the Saints point us to contemplation of the Face of Christ as a sign of hope for the world. Like the Holy Angels we should keep our eyes fixed on the Face of God in worship; Like St. Therese, and all the Saints, we need to become like a little child, who despite the darkness, surrenders to the crosses of life, and seeks the Face of God in humility and trust. We must also be like a “Veronica,” that is “a true image” of the Face of Jesus in our charity and compassion for others. Of course, the best example is set by Our Blessed Mother, who always looked at the Holy Face of her Son through the veil of faith; “Blessed is she who believed” in hope “that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled!” (Luke 1:45) “To recite the Rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the Face of Christ.” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae)
The Face of the Risen Christ is the banner of victory over sin and death!
“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have salvation and power come, the reign of our God and the authority of his Anointed One. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who night and day accused then before our God. They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; love for life did not deter them from death. So rejoice, you heavens, and you the dwell therein! But woe to you, earth and sea, for the devil has come down upon you! His fury knows no limits, for he knows his time is short’ (Rev 12).”
St. Michael Prayer — St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Prayer to Our Lady of the Angels, who, by her great humility, crushed the head of Satan:
Sublime Queen of Heaven, exalted Lady of the Angels, you have the power and commission given by God to crush the head of Satan. Therefore, we humbly beseech you to send to our aid your heavenly legions, so that, under your command and by your power, they may pursue the hellish spirits, fight them everywhere, ward off their impudent attacks, and fling them back into the abyss. Who is like God? You holy angels and archangels, defend and protect us. Good, kind mother, you remain always our love and our hope! Mother of God, send us the holy angels to defend us and keep the evil one far from us. Amen.
“This face is that of Jesus, and it is a great miracle, always love him.”
–Servant of God, Padre Domenico da Cese
Servant of God, Padre Domenico da Cese 1915-1978
In the photo above Padre Domenico appears to intently contemplate a square, white cloth–but the seemingly blank cloth is actually so much more–it is something miraculous! You will see in the many photos below, by Alexandra Prandell and Paul Badde, that what at first appears as a plain white cloth is actually the Holy Veil of Manoppello which bears the Holy Face of Jesus–on a veil so sheer that one could read a book through it–and yet, according to the the light and position of the viewer, the Holy Face of Jesus is visible. Padre Domenico personally believed that the veil was the Sudarium Veil placed on the Face of Jesus in the Tomb in addition to other burial cloths, and that the veil captured the first moment of the Resurrection.
Looking through the Veil of the Holy Face one may see through the open doors of the Basilica. (Photo: Alexandra Prandell)
Holy Face becomes visible in the light. (Photo: Alexandra Prandell)
The Holy Face as it appears in dim light. (Photo: Alexandra Prandell
The byssus Veil of Manoppello, which is thought to be one of the burial cloths of Jesus, photo: Paul Badde/EWTN
The Servant of God, known as Padre Domenico da Cese, was born on March 27, 1905; he was baptized Emidio Petracca (named for St. Emidio (c.279-309 AD), the saint who is invoked for protection in earthquakes.) Padre Domenico’s love for the Blessed Mother was profoundly shaped by a childhood miracle: When little Emidio was four years old he became very ill with what was thought to be polio. His distraught mother placed him on the altar in a church dedicated to Mary, Mother of God, and after begging her intercession, his legs suddenly began to move and his paralysis was cured.
As a nine year old boy in 1915, young Emidio predicted the devastating Avenzzano earthquake in Italy. A 6.7 earthquake hit that region the next morning, killing more than 30,000 people, including two of his sisters and burying young Emidio and his father in the rubble of their church. A man he didn’t know pulled him from the rubble to safety, whose face he later recognized on his first visit as a friar to the Shrine of the Holy Face in Manoppello. When Padre Domenico knelt before the “Il Volto Santo” or Face of Jesus, the miraculous veil, he exclaimed, “This is the man who saved me from the rubble!”
A short time after Padre Domenico arrived in Manoppello the people were saying, “We have received a Saint!”
St. Pio called the Holy Face Veil of Manoppello “The greatest relic of the Church.”
Like his friend and fellow Capuchin, St. Padre Pio, the humble Padre Domenico was also a mystic and stigmatist who had extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit; such as the gift of “reading souls” and bi-location. Penitents who traveled from Manoppello to go to confession with Padre Pio were admonished by him for traveling such a distance when they already had a holy priest in Manoppello. He told them, ” Why did you come all the way here, so far? You’ve got a priest there, my spiritual son, he’s like me!” St. Padre Pio’s last documented case of bi-location, just before he died, was before the relic of the Holy Face of Jesus at the shrine of “Il Volto Santo” in Manoppello, where Padre Domenico was the rector. Padre Pio had told his fellow Capuchins that the Holy Face of Manoppello was the greatest relic of the Church.
In September of 1968, as Padre Pio lay dying in San Giovanni Rotundo (which is about 200 km south of Manoppello in Italy), his friend Padre Domenico da Cese had just unlocked the doors of the shrine of the Holy Face one morning, and was astounded to find Padre Pio in prayer, in the choir behind the altar before the sacred image of the Face of Jesus. St. Padre Pio spoke then to Padre Domenico saying, “I do not trust myself any more. I am coming to an end. Pray for me. Good-bye until we meet in Paradise.” Twenty-four hours later St. Padre Pio died in his cell in San Giovanni on September 23, 1968. Testimony was later given by witnesses that Padre Domenico da Cese was seen at Padre Pio’s funeral (another case of bi-location). A film was even taken (here) which shows Padre Domenico walking slowly in Padre Pio’s funeral procession, even though Padre Domenico had never left the shrine in Manoppello.
Padre Domenico shared with everyone his ardent love and devotion for the Holy Face of Manoppello, also known as “Il Volto Santo” — a miraculous veil which transmits supernatural beauty, and at the same time indescribable suffering. It is the Face of Mercy, Love and Peace. He would tell pilgrims, “This face is that of Jesus, and it is a great miracle, always love him.” Padre Domenico had done much research on the sheer byssus veil, the image of which is not made with any paint or pigment, and compared the iridescent quality of the colors to the wings of butterflies which also reflect iridescent color naturally. He also made studies of the Face on the Shroud of Turin, and its similarities to the Holy Face of Manoppello. He believed with all his heart that it was the face of the same man, and he was convinced that, like the Shroud of Turin, the Veil of Manoppello was one of the many burial cloths in Jesus’s tomb–the holy sudarium which covered the Face of Jesus in death–and also miraculously bears witness to His Resurrection.
The Holy Veil of Manoppello (Photo: Alexandra Prandell)
On September 13 of 1978 while visiting Turin to venerate the Holy Face on the Shroud during a rare exposition, Padre Domenico, who was a giant of a man, was hit by the smallest car, a Fiat, as he was stepping out into a street. After suffering for several days in a hospital, and forgiving the man who had hit him, he died on September 17th, offering his life for the Holy Face on the Veil–the Face of the man who saved him as a child.
The penetrating and gentle gaze of the Holy Face of Manoppello, Italy Photo: Paul Badde/EWTN
Prayer for the intercession of Servant of God Padre Domenico da Cese
Oh God, you gave Padre Domenico the capacity of recognizing in the poor and the suffering the very Holy Face of your beloved Son, whose devotion he promoted with such zeal, through his intercession obtain for me the humility of heart, and simplicity of the little ones to whom you have revealed the secrets of the Kingdom, and in my hour of trial give me the strength to overcome the seductions of evil in order to put Satan to flight, and to merit, at the end of my earthly pilgrimage, to be able to contemplate the Holy Face of Jesus in the glory of paradise.
Though unworthy as I am of your Divine favors, I ask that you might grant, through the intercession of your faithful servant Padre Domenico, the grace I humbly ask of you…
Amen.
For more about Servant of God Padre Domenico da Cese, including books, and prayer cards: https://www.padredomenico.org
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To learn more about his incredible life and passionate love for the Holy Face you can watch this wonderful video of his life:
or this wonderful, short video about Padre Domenico (here).
Video of superimposed images of the face on Shroud of Turin and the Veil of Manoppello, Italy
Detail from The Wedding at Cana by Paolo Veronese (1528-1588)
Omnis Terra, Latin for “All the Earth, ” is the name given to the Second Sunday in Ordinary time, when the Gospel of the Wedding at Cana is read. In the midst of the wedding feast, Mary whispers to her son Jesus, “They have no wine.” At Mary’s words, Jesus then performed his first miracle: “the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee, and so revealed His glory, and His disciples began to believe in Him.” (John 2: 1-11) The revelation of His glory is the cause for all the earth rejoicing, giving praise to His Name at the wedding feast of the Lamb!
Omnis Terra Celebration 2025
This Holy Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrims from all over the world will be very fortunate to have an opportunity to participate in a Eucharistic celebration, procession, and blessing at the Basilica Shrine of the Holy Face in Manoppello, Italy, on Omnis Terra Sunday, January 19th. The Eucharistic Celebration will be presided over by His Excellency, Mons. Bruno Forte, Metropolitan Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto. Concelebrants will be Fr. Simone Calvarese, Provincial Minister of the Capuchin Friars Minor of Central Italy, and Fr. Antonio Gentili, Rector of the Sanctuary. At the end of the celebration there will be a procession and blessing with the reliquary of the Holy Face.
“To rejoice in the splendor of His Face means penetrating the mystery of His Name made known to us in Jesus, understanding something of His Interior life and of His will, so that we can live according to His plan for humanity. Jesus lets us know the hidden Face of the Father through His human Face; by the gift of the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts.” ~Pope Benedict XVI
This Jubilee Year of Hope, 2024-2025, will mark ten years since the rite of “Omnis Terra,” which had originally begun in 1208, was once again renewed during the Jubilee Year of Mercy, 2015-2016. At that time, a facsimile of the Merciful Face of of Christ on the Holy Veil of Manoppello was carried in a historic procession once again through the streets of Rome. 2016 was the first year that the Holy Face was processed in Rome since the ancient procession of Pope Innocent III from St. Peter’s Basilica to the nearby hospital of Santo Spirito in Sassia in 1208. The Omnis Terra celebration was later continued at the Basilica Shrine of Il Volto Santo in Manoppello. This significant event, celebrating the revelation of His glory is certainly a reason for all the earth to rejoice, as though at a wedding feast!
The first “Omnis Terra” Procession of Pope Innocent III in 1208 carrying “the Veronica” Face of Christ (from “Liber Regulae Sancti Spiritus in Saxia” manuscript 1350)
detail of Face of Jesus on the Holy Veil from the precious manuscript “Liber Regulae Sancti Spiritus in Saxia”
Let all the earth worship and praise You, O God; may it sing in praise of Your Name, O Most High. Shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth; sing a psalm in honor of His Name, praise Him with magnificence!
–Omnis Terra Introit
Salve! Sancta Facies! Hail, Holy Face!
Salve, Sancta Facies! Hail, Holy Face (c. 1450-1455), Willem Vrelant (1481) and associates, Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, MD.
The exquisite illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages reflect the great love and devotion shown to the Holy Face, as well as provide evidence of what the Holy Face of Jesus looked like, as it was seen on a miraculous veil, known as “the Veronica.” “The Veronica,” or Veil of the Holy Face of Jesus, was the greatest relic in Rome at that time. To gaze upon the veil was the great desire of pilgrims, who came from far and wide, to see for themselves the sheer veil bearing the Face of Jesus. Beginning with public exhibitions and processions of the Holy Veil by Pope Innocent III in the mid thirteenth century, the miraculous veil could be viewed by all. Then, the artists got to work on paintings, illustrations, poetry, prayers, and hymns in honor of the Holy Face. ( “The Veronica Route” website wonderfully catalogues many of these “Veronica” artworks that may be found throughout the world.)
Portrait of a Young Man, 1450-60, Petrus Christus, London National Gallery. Seen above the prayerful young man, on the wall, the Holy Face and the Salve! Sancta Facies Hymn
Pope John XXII, who was elected Pope in 1316, composed a beautiful hymn in honor of the Holy Face, and he also granted a special indulgence to those who recited it — and for those who could could not read, the Pope granted the same indulgence to the faithful for reciting five Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory Be’s. (For an understanding of indulgences, this EWTN article,Primer on Indulgences by James Akin is very helpful.)
Hymn in Honor of the Holy Face by Pope John XXII (translated from the original Latin)
Hail! Holy Face of our Redeemer, hail! Which shines in all its majesty divine Upon the spotless veil, a priceless gift To Saint Veronica; of love the sign.
Hail! Glory of all time, mirror-glass of the Saints, Wherein the blessed love for eye to gaze; Destroy within us every stain of sin, And with the elect our souls towards Thee raise.
Hail, Face of God! With His own gifts adorned, Whose splendor through the ages shall not cease; Oh! make Thy light descend into our hearts, And from their earthly toils our souls release.
Hail! Mighty bulwark of the Christian faith, Of heresy and lies the Victor Thou; King in the Sacred Bread, renew the strength Of all the faithful who before Thee bow.
Hail! all our joy in this hard life below, So frail and fugitive, so quickly over; Sweet Picture, lead us onwards to the skies, That we may there the Face of Christ adore.
Hail! noblest of all gems, celestial pearl, In Thee innumerable graces shine; No hand depicted Thee, no chisel carved, Thou wert of God alone the work divine.
The tints with which Thy features He has traced Will never alter and will never fade; Changeless amidst the ravages of time, The everlasting King Thy Face may see.
Forever incorrupt and free from stain, The living Christ we honour still in Thee; Thou turnest into joy our sighs and tears, Oh! grant that we, in heaven, thy Face may see.
Be thou, we pray, our buckler and defense, Our consolation and refreshment sweet, That nothing hostile may our spirits harm, Till, after death, we rest at Jesus’ feet. Amen.
Prayer
Shed, O Lord, joy over the faces of Thy faithful, and turn them away from the depths of hell, that, protected by the contemplation of Thy divine Face, we may have strength to tread underfoot the desires of the flesh, and that we may behold Thee face to face, without fear, Lord Jesus Christ, when Thou will come to judge us. Amen.
The “tints” of the image, written in light, have never altered or faded through the centuries. Holy Face Veil of Manoppello,( photo: Patricia Enk)
“The tints with which Thy features He has traced, Will never alter and will never fade; Changeless amidst the ravages of time, The everlasting King Thy Face may see.”
Below is a new video of a talk by Fr. Chris Alar, of the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge, Massachusetts that is well worth a watch!
Illumina Domine Blog - Devotion to The Holy Face 