SAINT VERONICA

SAINT VERONICA

Saint Veronica is the woman of Jerusalem who wiped the face of Christ with a veil while he was on the way to Calvary. The cloth was imprinted with the image of Christ’s face. There is no historical evidence or scriptural reference to this event but the legend of Veronica became one of the most popular in Christian lore and the veil one of the beloved relics in the Church.

Saint Veronica used the veil to cure Emperor Tiberius of some illness. The veil was subsequently seen in Rome in the eighth century and was taken to Saint Peter’s in 1297 by command of Pope Boniface VIII.

The apocryphal Acts of Pilate identify her with the woman mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew who suffered from an issue of blood. The relic is still preserved in Saint Peter’s and the memory of Veronica’s act of charity is commemorated in the Stations of the Cross.

While she is not included in the Roman Martyrology she is honored with a feast day. Her symbol is the veil bearing the face of Christ and the Crown of Thorns.

Feastday is July 12.

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