Chaplet - Infant Jesus of Prague high quality 17x25mm Genuine Garnet - Sterling Silver

This Infant Jesus of Prague medal is antique and been replicated in sterling silver. The reverse of the medal has the Sacred Heart. The Chaplet is made with genuine garnets wire wrapped in sterling silver. The garnets measure 6mm in diameter.

Includes an Infant Jesus of Prague Chaplet Prayer Card.

INFANT JESUS OF PRAGUE
The exact origin of the Infant Jesus statue was not truly known, but historical sources point to a small 28cm high sculpture of the Holy Child with a bird in his right hand carved in around the year 1340. Many other Infant Jesus sculptures were also carved by famous masters throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.

The popularity of the Child Jesus grew in the Baroque period in Spain which may have high quality been caused by the visions of St Teresa of Avila. A number of sculptures made in Spain eventually found their way to Prague. These sculptures were made of wax, ivory, and bronze and were dressed in garments reflecting the aristocratic fashion of that period.

It is unknown to this date which of those early sculptures that got to Prague was the exact origin of the Infant Jesus of Prague. It was speculated that it came from a monastery in Bohemia and from there it was obtained by Doña Isabella Manrique who gave it as a wedding gift to her daughter Marie Manrique who married a noble of the Czech kingdom. Later, the Holy Infant statue was again given to Marie's daughter Polyxena as a wedding gift in 1587. In 1628, Lady Polyxena presented the statue to the Carmelites at the Church Our Lady Victorious in Mala Strana (Little Quarter),  that had opened in 1613, saying, "I am giving you what I most esteem of my possessions. Keep the sculpture and venerate it and you will be well off.”  This statue then became known as the Infant Jesus of Prague. It stands 47cm high (includes a 2cm base) and has a long gown around the wax body.

Infant of Prague speaks to Fr Cyril twice
Shortly after 1628, the Saxons and the Swedes took turns to invade Prague and the Carmelites had to flee and the veneration of the Holy Infant ceased. It was not until 1638 that a young priest named Fr P Cyril, a Matre Dei (Latin for "Mother of God"), returned to Prague and found the Holy Infant statue buried in the ruins of the Our Lady of Victorious church. Both hands had been broken off. Fr Cyril cleaned the statue and placed it in the oratory for worship. While he was praying before the Infant Jesus, he heard the Infant Jesus say, "Have pity on Me and I will have pity on you. Give Me My hands and I will give you peace. The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you."

The repairing of the statue's hands was a miracle since Fr Cyril and his peers did not have the financial resources nor the know-how to repair them. Through prayer, Fr Cyril asked the Blessed Virgin Mary on several occasions to to provide the necessary funds for fixing the Infant statue. The Divine Infant spoke to him again, "Place Me near the entrance of the sacristy and you will receive aid." Fr Cyril then did what he was told and in a few days time, the statue was fixed by a man who came to the sacristy to offer help. He created and attached the Infant Jesus' left hand holding a ball, representing the world with a cross on top and the right hand holding two fingers up in the sign of peace.