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FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
Coronation of the Image of the Infant of Prague, July 15 at 9 a.m. This coming Saturday, July 15, you are invited to come to a special Mass at 9:00 a.m. at which we will place a new crown on the image of the Infant of Prague that graces our Blessed Sacrament Chapel. The new crown is a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Connor in memory of the McCarter and Connor Families. I chose this particular Saturday to perform the coronation because devotion to the Infant of Prague has been supported by the members of the Carmelite community since the 16th century, when the original image was placed in the Church of Our Lady of Victory at Prague in what is now the Czech Republic. July 16 is the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, so our celebrations on the day prior will allow us to be connected spiritually to the Carmelite family. While the original image dates from the mid-16th century, universal devotion to the Infant of Prague did not come about until 1896 when Pope Leo XIII first approved the devotion for the Catholic faithful and then instituted a sodality in its favor. Pope Saint Pius X raised the sodality to a Confraternity in 1913 that, in turn, gave its members canonical status in the Church – meaning their devotion and works of mercy were now protected by Church law. Many churches have images of the Infant of Prague in them, and devotion to the Infant became popular among the people of Poland, Spain, Portugal, the Philippines and throughout Latin America and the nations of the Caribbean. The devotion primarily is meant to recall that Jesus, the Son of God, came to share our human nature. The feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus on January 3 is tied to the Infant of Prague, too. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14) is the oft-repeated scripture that ties this devotion to our Catholic-Christian faith. I hope that those of you who are able will join us this coming Saturday.
Love, Father Tom