The Holy Face Medal: Heaven's Coin

"As in a kingdom one can procure all

that is desired with a coin stamped with

the King's effigy, so in the Kingdom of

Heaven one will obtain all that one

desires with the precious coin of my

Holy Face."

~ Our Lord to Sr. Marie of St. Peter,
Carmelite Mystic (d. 1848)

The Holy Face Medal, as revealed by Heaven

to Bl. Maria Pierina de Micheli.

Family and Friends who know me very well are aware this author is an enthusiastic devotee of the Holy Face Medal.  I wrote a little about the history of the Holy Face Devotion this past July 2011 (click on this link to see the post: Holy Face Devotion), but with the recent celebration on September 11th of the Feast of one of the devotion's most ardent promoters - Bl. Maria Pierina de Micheli (a.k.a. Madre Pierina) - I felt inspired to share more about this special medal our Lord requested through his messenger, Madre Pierina.

   

A portrait of Jesus painted circa the 6th

Century (left) and the Holy Face of our

Lord, as miraculously imprinted on the

Shroud of Turin (right).

Again, devotion to the Holy Face is not new to the Church; the familiar image of the bearded face of Christ has its origin in the earliest days of Christian history, as confirmed by ancient paintings discovered on the walls of the Roman catacombs.  But the devotion has taken on a whole new significance in the 20th century through the efforts of Madre Pierina and her congregation, the Daughters of the Immaculate Conception of Buenos Aires.

From her childhood and throughout her lifetime, Madre Pierina experienced several mystical visits from our Lord and the Blessed Virgin, who requested that she promote the image of the suffering face of Jesus Christ as a visual reminder of how sin grievously offends God... and how there is an urgent need for reparation.  During the first Friday of Lent in 1936, Jesus reportedly appeared to the devout nun to request the following:

"I wish that my face, which reflects my

soul's deepest anguish, the sorrow and

love of my heart, be better honored.  He,

who contemplates me (the Holy Face),

consoles me."

In particular, the Lord asked for a new sacramental - a medal somewhat resembling a coin - to which he attached special graces and blessings for those who would wear it in the spirit of prayerful atonement.  The front of the medal is imprinted with an image of the Holy Face (based on the image from the Shroud of Turin) surrounded by the inscription:

Illumina Domine Vultum

Tuum Super Nos

(Shine your Face upon us, Lord)

... while the reverse of the medal displays the Blessed Sacrament surrounded with:

Mane Nobiscum Domine

(Stay with us, Lord)

The Holy Face Medal, as it came to be called, spread rapidly with innumerable favors being attributed to its pious use.  Through Madre Pierina, Jesus conveyed the following promise to all peoples who will exercise this devotion:

"I promise personal and spiritual protection

to all who venerate this medal."

In a feeble attempt to obstruct Madre Pierina’s mission the devil often harassed her - physically attacking her and setting fire to the supply of Holy Face pictures she kept on hand for distribution. But the brave nun wasn’t easily deterred by the evil one's assaults. Instead, she heroically prayed, sacrificed, and persevered in the mission entrusted to her by our Lord and the Blessed Virgin, while also scaling the heights of holiness. Her sanctity was attested to by her worthy confessor - the Ven. Hildebrand Gregori - and others who knew her closely. She died in 1945, perfectly fulfilling the personal sentiments that she had written earlier in 1941: "I feel a deep longing to live always united to Jesus, to love him intensely because my death can only be a transport of love with my spouse, Jesus."

   

 A portrait of Bl. Maria Pierina,

the Apostle of the Holy Face,

and a 1st Class Relic of the

Blessed gifted to this ministry

by her congregation.

Madre Pierina was declared a Blessed by the Catholic Church on May 30, 2010, sparking renewed interest in her life and work. The message entrusted to her by Heaven has inspired this author to wear the Holy Face Medal (for over 15 years now, as of this writing) and it has proven to be a source of benediction and spiritual comfort for me.  I encourage all Catholics (and even non-Catholics) to wear it, too.  For more detailed information about the Holy Face Devotion and Madre Pierina, visit the website of the Holy Face Association: http://www.holyface.com/... or to download a printable, introductory brochure about this devotion, click here.

I close this post by sharing more promises attached to this medal and devotion.  The following were given by Our Lady during one of her private apparitions to Bl. Maria Pierina de Micheli.

"All who wear a medal like this and

make, if possible, every Tuesday a visit

to the Blessed Sacrament, in order to

repair the outrages to the Holy Face

of my son, Jesus, received during his

Passion and every day in the Holy

Eucharist, will be strengthened in

faith... prompted to defend it... and

will overcome all difficulties internal

and external.  Furthermore, they will

have a peaceful death under the

loving gaze of my Divine Son."

~ Our Lady to Madre Pierina,

May 1936

NOTICE:  To download a free introductory pamphlet on Sacramentals, in general, click here.

*** This lay-ministry currently has a limited supply of gold-colored aluminum Holy Face Medals, which are being offered to the readers of this blog at no charge (Hawaii or US-mainland residents only).  If you would like to receive a medal (one medal per person, per request), please email me - Peter - with your full name and mailing address at guadalupe_house@yahoo.com (indicate 'Holy Face Medal Request' in the subject line).  As an added blessing, the Holy Face Medal will be prayed over and touched to the relic of Bl. Maria Pierina de Micheli pictured above before being mailed to the requestor.