July 12 + Saint Veronica of the Veil

On the road to Calvary, Veronica experienced the pain and agony Our Lord was undergoing in much the same way His Blessed Mother Mary felt His suffering. Veronica saw Jesus carrying His cross and was moved with compassion.

Offering Him her veil, Jesus accepted the offering, held it to His face which was dripping with sweat and blood and then handed it back to her. The image of His face was miraculously impressed upon it. This piece of cloth became known as the Veil of Veronica.

The cloth bearing Christ's imprinted face is considered one of the most treasured relics in the Vatican. Veronica's Veil was held as a precious treasure of the popes, kept in St. Peter's Basilica from the year 706 through 1527. Since the early 1600s, this "true icon," or icona vera, a derivation of the name Veronica, has been seen by very few.

The veil kept in St. Peter's Basilica, removed in the Middle Ages, has since been returned, where it's kept in the chapel behind the balcony of the southwest pier upholding the dome. Each year, the Holy Face is brought out for display on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, with a blessing occurring after Vespers, followed by a procession inside the basilica.