Day 6 of the Novena to Our Lady of Mt Carmel
Plus the Feast of St Veronica...
Join us in prayer as we begin the nine day Novena to Our Lady of Mt Carmel.
For all those celebrating the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mt Carmel around the world.
For the Carmelite Order and all Lay Carmelites.
For the needs and intentions of all those praying this Novena, the apostolate of the Fraternal Society of St John the Apostle, Epiphany of Our Lord Shrine, the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, and the Diocese of St Petersburg.
Sixth Day
With loving provident care, O Mother Most Amiable, you covered us with your Scapular as a shield of defense against the Evil One. Through your assistance, may we bravely struggle against the powers of evil, always open to your Son Jesus Christ.
(Mention your request here)
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3x)
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in thy hands (3x)
Please offer three Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory Bes in thanksgiving.
"As holy sites go, the Sanctuary Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) in East Harlem should be top of list for Catholics visiting New York. There have been several documented miracles that have been performed by the Blessed Mother at this Shrine. The image located here was proclaimed miraculous by His Holiness Pope Leo XIII and crowned during the pontificate of Pope St. Pius X on July 10th, 1904. It is one of the 3 most holy sites in the Americas as coronated by Pontifical Authority. The two others are Our Lady of Prompt Help in New Orleans, and the Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico. OLMC was built by the neighborhood's Italian immigrant parishioners (who upon completing the cathedral in the style of an Italian mountain village basilica, were only permitted to worship down in its basement). The church has been the center of a religious feast in the street out front each July for the past 140 years. At one time was attended by upwards of 500,000 people. Today, services are offered in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish and Latin."
The Feast of St. Veronica: A Reflection on Compassion and the Holy Face of Jesus
Today, July 12th, we celebrate the feast of St. Veronica, a woman whose act of compassion has inspired centuries of devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus. Though her story is not found in the canonical Gospels, it has been preserved through tradition and veneration, reminding us of the power of small acts of love and their eternal significance.
Who Was St. Veronica?
St. Veronica is best known as the woman who offered her veil to Christ as He carried His cross to Calvary. According to tradition, she was moved by compassion upon seeing Jesus suffering under the weight of His cross, His face bloodied and drenched with sweat. She stepped forward from the crowd and offered Him her veil to wipe His face. In return, Christ left an imprint of His Holy Face on the cloth—a miraculous image that became known as the Veil of Veronica.
The name "Veronica" itself is thought to derive from the Latin words vera icon, meaning "true image," a reference both to her veil and to her role in preserving this sacred relic. Some traditions identify her with Berenike, a woman mentioned in apocryphal texts like the Acts of Pilate. Others connect her with the unnamed woman healed by touching the hem of Jesus’ garment (Matthew 9:20–22).
While historical evidence for St. Veronica’s life is scarce, her story has been immortalized in Christian devotion, particularly in the Sixth Station of the Cross, where she is honored for her courageous act of mercy.
The History of Devotion to St. Veronica
The earliest written accounts linking Veronica’s veil with Christ’s Passion date back to medieval times. By the 11th century, legends began to elaborate on her story, including accounts that Christ gifted her a miraculous portrait on cloth, which she later used to heal Emperor Tiberius. This version gained popularity through works like Meditations on the Life of Christ (c. 1300) and became widely accepted in Christian Europe.
The Veil itself became one of Christianity’s most treasured relics, housed in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome by at least the 8th century. Pilgrims flocked to venerate it during Holy Years, and indulgences were granted for those who prayed before it.1
. Though its authenticity has been debated—especially after copies proliferated during medieval times—the Veil remains a powerful symbol of Christ’s suffering and humanity.
In art and devotion, St. Veronica came to represent compassion and courage in witnessing Christ's Passion. Her feast day on July 12th honors not only her legendary act but also her role in inspiring devotion to Christ's Holy Face.
Devotion to the Holy Face
St. Veronica’s act gave rise to a profound devotion centered on the Holy Face of Jesus, which continues today as a means of contemplating Christ’s suffering and making reparation for sins against God.
This devotion gained new momentum in 1843 when Our Lord revealed its importance to Sister Marie de Saint-Pierre, a Carmelite nun in Tours, France. Through private revelations, Jesus requested reparation for blasphemy and offenses against His divinity, promising graces for those who honor His Holy Face.2
One key prayer associated with this devotion is known as the Golden Arrow Prayer, which was revealed by Christ Himself:
“May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth.”
The devotion also ties closely with other relics believed to bear Christ’s image, such as the Shroud of Turin and the Manoppello Image—both considered acheiropoieta (images not made by human hands). These relics remind us that Christ's face reflects both His humanity and divinity.
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1953
https://www.catholiccompany.com/blogs/magazine/holy-face-of-jesus-devotion-5996