In 1628, the Discalced Carmelite Friars in Prague received the gift of a beautiful statue of Infant Jesus from a devout noblewoman, Princess Polyxenia of Lobkowitz. She gave the Friars this precious gift saying: " I give you what I Prize most highly in the world; honour and respect the child and you shall never be in want." The prosperity the Friars enjoyed in the Monastery testify to the veracity of this claim. In 1635, after the war that invaded Czech, Father Cyril of the Mother of God, OCD took up the task of restoring this noble devotion. The invaders had thrown the statue into a pile of rubbish for about seven years. While Fr. Cyril was praying with this statue which he had picked from the rubbish he had a consoling voice saying: " Have pity on Me and I will have pity on you. Restore my hands and I will give you peace, the more you honour me, the more I will bless you." The hands were restored through the generosity of a devout person though not without some "internal" difficulties. Once more, peace and prosperity returned to the Carmelite Monastery. The twentieth century saw the glory of the devotion when St. Pope Pious X unified the devotees into a Confraternity under the guidance of the Carmelites. He erected it with universal character in an Apostolic Letter "Significat Nobis", dated 30 March 1913. In this letter, the Holy Father gave the Superior General of the Order of Discalced Carmelites the faculty (Authority) to institute worldwide the Confraternity of the Child Jesus, with the permission of the Diocesan Bishop. This noble devotion to the Child Jesus has always been practiced, preached and preserved by the Carmelite Order worldwide. St. Teresa of Avila, St. Therese of the Child Jesus, the Little Flower, St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross, John of the Cross, etc. are all ardent venerators of the mysteries of the Divine Infancy.
The small statue is a 19-inch (48 cm) high (with a 2cm base), wooden and coated wax representation of the Infant Jesus. The surface of the wax is quite fragile. In order to protect the fragile wax surface, the bottom half below the waist is enclosed in a silver case to protect it.
The right hand is raised in a gesture of blessing. It signifies the gift of incense.
The left hand holds an imperial globe surmounted by a cross, signifying sovereignty.
The image is clothed in a long robe below which his bare feet can be seen. In the past, the statue was decorated with small jewels, presented as gifts. Since 1788, the statue's raised two fingers have worn two rings, which came as a thanksgiving gift by a noble Czech family for healing their daughter.
The crown on his head is a symbol of his kingship symbolizing the gift of gold. His kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and his rule will last forever.
On the golden crown is a cross signifying his passion which began with the cold at Bethlehem. This is the meaning of the gift of " Myrrh ".
Second half of the 16th century
According to sources, the statue of the Prague Infant Jesus originates in Spain. It was probably made in Spain sometime in the second half of the 16th century or earlier. Legend says that the Infant Jesus miraculously appeared to the monk who moulded the statue based on his vision A different legend tells us that the statue was owned by St. Theresa of Jesus who greatly venerated Jesus' childhood and spread the veneration of the Infant Jesus throughout Spain. She is said to have given the statue to friend whose daughter was getting married in Prague.
1556
It an established fact that the statue of the Infant Jesus was brought to Prague by the Spanish Duchess Marie Manriquez de Lcara, who married Vrastislav of Pernstejn in 1556. Later she gave the statue to her daughter Polyxena of Lobkovic as a wedding gift. She greatly venerated the statue and received consolation and help from it many times.
1628
Polyxena of Lobkowicz donated the statue as a precious gift to the monastery of Discalced Carmelites at the church of Our Lady Victorious. The Carmelites placed the statue in their novitiate chapel so that the young monks would learn the virtues of small Jesus. The novitiates greatly took to the statue and performed everyday worship before it. Later the novitiate was closed down in Prague and the veneration of the Infant Jesus almost ceased.
1631
In 1631 the Saxons seized Prague. The Carmelites fled from the monastery. The monastery was plundered and the Infant Jesus damaged and discarded as junk.
1637
The monks returned to Prague in 1637. With them was also Father Cyril of the Mother of God, originally from Luxembourg, who remembered his time as a novice and the powerful intercession of the Infant Jesus. He found the statue among old junk. With great sorrow he discovered that both its arms had been broken off. During prayer he heard the Infant Jesus say: “Have mercy on me and I will have mercy on you. Give me my arms and I will give you my peace. I will bless you as much as you will venerate me!â€. Eventually, Father Cyril was able to have new arms made for the Infant Jesus.
1639
The Infant Jesus began to bless the monastery, the local people, and also the entire city of Prague. He was credited with miraculous healing and also amongst other things, with saving Prague during the Swedish siege in 1639. At that time the statue was located in the choir where the believers could not worship it publicly.
1641
In 1641 the statue was moved to a chapel in the church, on the left behind the entrance (today the St. Cross Chapel). In 1651 the statue was carried in processions to Prague churches.
1655
In 1655 the statue was crowned by the Bishop of Prague. The number of miracles and prayers answered continued to rise.
1741
The capacity of the chapel was no longer sufficient. Crowds of admirers were blocking the entry to the church. For this reason, in 1741 the statue was relocated to its present place on the right in the middle of the church nave. In 1776 a worthy altar was built for the statue.
1754
The Empress Marie Terezie personally donated an embroidered robe to the Infant Jesus in 1754. The veneration of the Prague Infant Jesus started to spread to all the other countries of the former Austrian empire.
1776
In 1776 a worthy altar was built for the statue. Both walls of the alcove are covered with plates of thanks for intercessions.
1784
The successor to the throne, Josef II. (1780-1790) launched a campaign against both the monasteries and common peoples' religion. The Carmelite monastery in Mala Strana was abolished as part of Josef's reforms. The church and the altar of the Infant Jesus went into decay.
1879
The restoration of the altar in 1879 was successful but the Infant Jesus had to beg for the money for the restoration himself. He made a pilgrimage through Prague's women convents with a begging sack. The necessary sum of money was collected, and at the same time the veneration of the Infant Jesus was revived. Reports of miracles were coming from throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
1928, 1935
The 300th anniversary of the veneration of the Infant Jesus was marked with great splendour. The Infant Jesus was also the focus of great attention from the participants at the Catholic Convention in 1935. By the turn of 19th and 20th century, the veneration of the Infant Jesus had spread all over the world in a miraculous way. It took roots to the greatest extent in Spain from where the Infant Jesus originated. The Spanish and Portuguese travelled with pictures and statues of the Infant Jesus over the Atlantic Ocean to the colonial countries in South America. Thanks to missionaries, colonisers, and European immigrants, the Infant Jesus is known in India, China, the Philippines, and in North America.
1939 - 1989
Due to Nazi and communist dictatorships, veneration was silenced for more than 50 years. However, crowds of pilgrims still travelled to the see the Infant Jesus, mainly from Spanish speaking countries.
1993
In 1993, the Discalced Carmelites returned to the Church of Our Lady Victorious. The veneration of the Infant Jesus was brought back to life.
2009
The most important event so far has been the visit of Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. In his speech, the Pope stated that the Prague Infant Jesus demonstrated God's closeness and love through his child tenderness. The Pope prayed for children who are victims of violence and different forms of abuse. He also prayed for broken and unfaithful families. He offered a crown as a present for the Infant Jesus.