A face at the center, the Instruments of the Passion around it: the Holy Face brings together an image of compassion and the memory of Christ's trials.
Read the symbolism
Julio relates the image to the cloth used to wipe Jesus's face on the ascent to Calvary. He describes the Instruments of the Passion surrounding it, including the column, whips, sponge, and lance. The composition connects the face with the events it evokes.
The attributed effects
The author attributes to this figure aid in the illnesses of people and animals. He also associates it with restoring peace between loved ones and between peoples, when a particular prayer accompanies the sign.
Its use by Julio
The notice places the figure in homes and buildings that house animals. Julio suggests writing the prayer Pax Domini on the back before the blessing and consecration, with an intention of peace. This detail belongs to his historical use of the support.
A personal reflection
Look at the face, then at the objects surrounding it. For personal reflection, the figure may accompany a prayer of compassion for a suffering person or a request for peace in the home.
The source and variants
The notice refers to the Great Marvelous Secrets, p. 543. The reproduction is that of the Holy Face surrounded by the Instruments of the Passion.
Abbé Julio, The Secret Book of Great Exorcisms and Blessings, Vincennes, published by the author, 1908. Explanation and application no. 25, pp. 428–429. Practical advice on blessed and consecrated supports: pp. 462–463.
Classical directory numbering: 6 of 44. This numbering differs from the inventory of engravings in the old volumes.
Read the notice in the 1908 edition
Image: historical reproduction distributed by Oracles.ch. The reproduction does not make it possible to identify its edition precisely; it has been preserved at its native resolution, without redrawing the characters or artificial enlargement. The text of the entry is based on the 1908 notice.
