About St Veronica
Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
Saint Veronica is known as the woman who offered a cloth to Jesus so He could wipe His face on the way to His crucifixion. The cloth is believed to exist today in the Vatican and is considered one of the most treasured relics of the Church.
Offered her veil
Legend states that as Christ was walking to Calvary, His face dripping with sweat and blood, Saint Veronica, a bystander, was moved with compassion. She approached Jesus and offered Him a cloth, likely her veil, which He accepted and used to wipe His face.
Where is her veil?
There are no legends from the period which speak of Veronica either before or after her act of compassion. We do not know when she was born or when she died. She is literally lost to history. However, the cloth may still exist today, kept safe at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
Saint Veronica is honored on July 12. She could be a perfect Saint to turn to for caregivers...
While these traditions and assertions cannot be proven, we do know that a bleeding woman displayed great faith in the Lord and was healed. And we know that there were pious women present along the Via Dolorosa, mournful over Christ’s agony. We don’t know the names of any of them with certainty; however, they all had the reflection―or true image―of Jesus in their hearts, and so the name of Veronica could symbolize at least one if not several of these holy women.
Pondering Saint Veronica through Scripture
Saint Veronica is honored on July 12. She could be a perfect Saint to turn to for caregivers, face wounds, or hemorrhaging problems. The verses below might help to contemplate the life of Saint Veronica and offer inspiration to become like a Veronica to someone in your life.
Matthew 9:20–22
Mark 5:25–34
Luke 8:43–48
Luke 23:27
St. Veronica is the True Image of Compassion
Saint Veronica is honored on July 12.
The name Veronica actually never appears in Scripture, nor is this Veronica included in the Roman Martyrology. However, Luke’s Gospel shares that many women grieved for Jesus as He carried His cross to Golgotha, and it is claimed that one of these women had a piece of cloth with her and used it to clean the distressed face of the suffering Christ. In Catholic churches around the world, this belief can be found within the Sixth Station of the Cross—one of a series of depictions outlining the Passion of Jesus.
True Image
The name Veronica is derived from the Latin vera (true) and icon (image) and was likely given to this woman due to the credence that as she tried to absorb the sweat, dirt, and blood from the face of Jesus, a miraculous image of His face was left on the fabric. Saint Veronica's cloth bearing the imprint of Jesus' face is claimed to be in a variety of places, including Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and a monastery in Manoppello, Italy.
Origins
Some have also claimed that Veronica is the same as the biblical woman who suffered from 12 years of hemorrhages. This story can be found in three of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke, tucked within the story of Jesus going to raise Jairus’s daughter from the dead. It shares an account of a timid yet believing woman who had suffered for many years; she saw Jesus in a crowd and discreetly reached out to touch the hem of His cloak, hoping for relief. Jesus felt some power leave Him and so asked who had touched His cloak. The reticent woman (Veronica?) admitted that it had been she. Jesus was impressed with her faith, and she was healed.
