Origins of a Beloved Statue (16th–17th cent.)
The wax statue that we venerate today was sculpted in Spain around 1550 and given as a wedding present to Duchess María Manrique de Lara y Mendoza. Through her daughter, Princess Polyxena of Lobkowicz, the figure reached Prague in 1628, during the turbulence of the Thirty Years’ War. Polyxena donated it to the Discalced Carmelites with the prophetic words: “As long as you honor this image, you shall not want.”
Calamity and Rediscovery
Swedish troops ransacked Prague in 1631, forcing the friars to flee. When they finally returned, they found the statue broken in pieces, its hands shattered. It remained forgotten until Father Cyrillus of the Mother of God discovered it in 1637. As he knelt to pray, he heard the Child say: “Have pity on Me and I will have pity on you. Give Me My hands and I will give you peace.”
Restoration was arranged, and soon miracles multiplied—a cripple walked, a plague subsided, soldiers were spared in battle. In 1648, the Carmelites crowned the statue with papal approval, marking the feast we celebrate each 14 January.
Spread of the Devotion
Missionaries carried small replicas to Manila, Mexico, Brazil and beyond. By the late 1800s, Pope Pius IX had enriched the devotion with indulgences. St Thérèse of Lisieux kept an image of the Little King in her cell; St John Paul II visited the shrine in 1995, calling the Infant Jesus “an eloquent sign of God made man”.
The Statue Today
The figure stands 48 cm tall, carved in wood and covered with a wax coating. Its wardrobe counts nearly 300 tailor‑made vestments in liturgical colours, the most famous being a baroque red robe embroidered with gold. The right hand is raised in blessing, while the left bears an orb topped by a cross, declaring Christ sovereign over the world—no matter how small His human form.
Through wars, totalitarian regimes and secular indifference, the Child has remained a beacon of tenderness: proof that omnipotence can wear the face of vulnerability. Each pilgrim who enters the Church of Our Lady of Victory still hears the same invitation: become childlike, trust, and miracles will follow.
Legacy and Pilgrimage Today
In the modern era, the devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague continues to flourish. Every year, thousands of pilgrims from across the globe—lay faithful, priests, bishops, and even heads of state—come to venerate the miraculous statue. Special Masses, novenas, and processions are held during the feast days, especially on January 14 and the third Sunday of May.
Devotees report receiving not only physical healings, but also peace in families, reconciliations, vocational clarity, and a deepened relationship with Christ. The statue's message remains universal: in trusting the divine Child, one finds the Father’s love.
The Shrine has also embraced the digital age, offering livestreamed liturgies, virtual novenas, and an online prayer petition system. These tools extend the reach of the Infant Jesus far beyond the walls of the church, helping to spread faith and hope to homes, hospitals, and parishes worldwide.
A Universal Symbol of Peace
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI reaffirmed the universal importance of the devotion, saying: “The image of the Child Jesus speaks to the hearts of all people, reminding us of God’s nearness and tenderness.” Today, statues of the Infant Jesus of Prague can be found in churches and homes in every continent, dressed in cultural vestments that reflect local traditions.
The Infant Jesus is not only a powerful intercessor, but a symbol of divine intimacy—an invitation to every soul to rest in the heart of Christ, beginning from the manger and extending to eternity.