the Infant of Prague

Years ago, I had a roommate that said if I wanted to find money all I had to do was ask the Infant of Prague.  I inquired as to the hows, whys and wherefores, and all I remember her telling me was that the Infant of Prague was something she had always heard about her family praying to growing up, but couldn’t really tell me what exactly it was all about.

Actually, she may have told me it was a statue with broken hands, but this was over 20 years ago and I can’t recall for sure, so anyway I took her at her word and I recall several instances of asking the Infant of Prague for found money, and I found $20 bucks in the lint trap of the dryer, a few dollars on the ground, another time I found a large amount of cash under a table at the end of the night while I was cocktail waitressing.

Years go by, and I always held that thought in the back of my head about the Infant of Prague sending you found money and wishing I knew more.  I asked around, but no one had ever heard of the Infant of Prague, but then… ah, the advent of the internet dawns. 

I came to learn that the Infant of Prague is a miraculous statue of Jesus as a small child, his feast day is the third Sunday in May (this year on 5/20/2007), that there is an apartment aptly called the Infant of Prague Apartment for rent across the street from the St. Mary the Victorious church, and his patronages include:  children, schools and vocations, family life, foreign missions and travel, freedom, peace and health, and good finances -which would explain the asking for found money {and with all of the turmoil and angst I have been experiencing with my home life, wanting to go back to school and finding a fulfilling career, looks like the Infant and I are going to spending some quality time together}!

I say a miraculous statue, meaning miraculous in that accepting faith at face value, the Infant of Prague statue spoke to Father Cyrillus and asked that his hands be fixed, and that he would offer gifts to him if he would serve him this favor, and assures him, “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 Holy Infant of Prague

Amazing links!

You can read an amazing historical account of the Infant of Prague at EWTN, and Viarosa.com has a nice write up of the history of both the chaplet, known as the Little Crown, of the Infant of Prague and the statue itself.

At Pragjesu.info/karmel, the official Infant of Prague website, both St. Mary the Victorious Church and the Infant of Prague statue are featured. 

Prayer devotions and novenas can be found at many sites, but I really like catholic-forum and fisheaters, and a video can be seen HERE.

Catholic-Forum has some of the best images of the various Ceremonial Dressings, of which there are rumored to be 85!  I had seen the statue dressed in different robes before, I suppose, but for all of my prior research I never knew actual ceremonial vestments existed.  Thank you MadamJuJuJive for telling me about that so very interesting fact!

You can get a free Infant of Prague devotional chaplet and rosary at the 101Foundation, but with my most heartfelt please, I beg and beseech you not to ask them for one just because they are free!