7 Surprising Facts About the Prague Jesuit and His Family
1. The Little Jesus of Prague and a trip to Spain
Written by Legends , the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague was carved a long time ago by a devoted Spanish monk named Joseph, who worked in a crumbling monastery located between Cordoba and Seville. He was inspired by a vision he saw in a dream, where he imagined a chubby child’s face surrounded by curly hair. To make sure he wouldn’t forget this image, he crafted the child’s face from wax based on his memories of the dream. While this story is legendary, the truth is likely more complex. However, the important part of the tale of the 47-centimeter tall wooden sculpture, which also contains wax and canvas, starts in 1556. The statue was brought to what is now the Czech Republic by Marie Manriquez de Lara, who served as a lady-in-waiting to the Queen of Spain and married Vratislaus of Pernštejn that same year.
2. The Little Jesus of Prague and his journey to Prague
Since the Pernštejn family owned property in eastern Bohemia, the Baby Jesus statue first traveled to Pardubice and Litomyšl. When Vratislav of Pernštejn rose to the position of the highest chancellor of Bohemia, the family moved to Prague. In 1603, Mrs. de Lara gifted the statue to her daughter Polyxena of Lobkowice as a wedding present for her second marriage. In 1628, the statue was relocated from its home at the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague Castle when the widowed Polyxena said, “Keep it in reverence and you will do well” as she donated it to the Order of the Barefoot Carmelites at the Church of Our Lady of Victory. Today, this church is the second most visited religious site in Prague, following St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle.
3. The Miracle Child, an icon of faith, history, and art in the heart of Prague
Since that time, the Baby Jesus has been blessing the monastery, the people of Prague, and the city itself from a humble church in the Lesser Town. Many thanksgiving plaques on the altar walls showcase the numerous miracles attributed to the Baby Jesus, such as restoring sight and hearing, providing healing, and safeguarding the city from plagues and wartime difficulties. Notably, it is believed to have saved Prague from being captured during the Swedish siege of 1639. In 1651, the statue was paraded around various churches in Prague, and in 1655, it received an official crowning by the Bishop of Prague. This special event is commemorated every year with a celebration that takes place on the last Sunday in May.
4. The baby Jesus and his journey into the world
The Carmelites played a significant role in spreading the fame of the Prague Infant Jesus: copies of the statue were sent to all their monasteries, and missionaries took along at least images of it. Spaniards and Portuguese carried pictures and statues of the Infant Jesus across the Atlantic to the colonies in South America. Currently, there are Churches dedicated to the Prague Jesuit as well as copies of the small statuette found globally.
Most copies (and their duplicates which often differ from the original Prague statue) are located in Latin America and Spanish-speaking countries since the Baby Jesus has Spanish roots. A tiny figure of the Baby Jesus sits on the altar of the cathedral in Buenos Aires, and the Pope Francis, while serving as Archbishop of Argentina, had it there. Additionally, a small statue can be seen on altars in many European churches, as well as in India, China, the Philippines, and North America. Reports of miraculous healings keep coming to Our Lady of Victory Church from all around the world. For instance, when President Havel visited the Philippines years ago, he brought along a statue of the Baby Jesus as an official gift.
5. The Little Prince & Paulo Coelho
The Little Jesus of Prague even inspired Antoine de Saint-Exupéry to write The Little Prince, which is considered his most beloved book. He turned to this little wax figure for help, as did Paulo Coelho. During a visit to Czechoslovakia in 1982, Coelho made sure to stop by the Church of Our Lady of Victory in Prague. “I prayed to him that I would become a writer.” Coelho recalls. “The statuette of the Little Jesus was poorly dressed at that time. I promised that if my wish came true, I would return to Prague and bring a new outfit for the Prague Jesuit.” He honored his promise in 2005 after selling 200 million books and continues to adore the Prague Jesuit.
6. The Prague Jesuit and his Czech colleagues
In the Czech Republic, the Little Jesus of Prague isn’t the sole cherished statue of a baby Jesus. For instance, there’s a copy in Velehrad, where there are actually two replicas; however, only one of these can change its clothes like the original in Prague. You can also find a version of the Prague Jesuit in the Church of St. Michael in Olomouc, and there is the Church of St. Jesus in Pilsen dedicated to the Jesuit. Officially, it’s named Church of the Holy Name of Jesus and is one of only four churches in the Czech Republic with this dedication, but it’s the only one known as U Ježíška. Moreover, it strikingly resembles its Prague counterpart, along with a plaster cast of the Baby Jesus at Český Krumlov Chateau. For those who wish to have a Prague Jesuit at home, they can purchase a porcelain version made by the Royal Dux factory in Duchcov, available in different sizes, with the largest weighing 4.30 kg.
7. European relatives, symbols of hope and faith in a better future
Some of the oldest variations in Central Europe, which are somewhat different from the Prague Jesuit, include the Gothic statue from the Bavarian National Museum in Munich and the Salzburg Jesuit. The ivory baby Jesus was given to the Church of St. Maria Loreto in Salzburg in 1650 by Sister Euphrasie Silberrath von Offenburg. The Austrian Baby Jesus is also believed to have healing abilities; parents would place tiny shirts featuring the image of the statue under sick children’s pillows.
Another well-known statue is the wooden figure of Santa Claus found in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli on the Roman Capitol, carved from olive wood originating from the Garden of Gethsemane in the 15th century. It was renowned for its miraculous healing properties, as it was carried in special decorative stretchers to terminally ill individuals. However, the original statue was stolen in February 1994 and has never been recovered.
