According to tradition, Saint Veronica was a pious woman who lived in Jerusalem. She was moved by the pains of Christ on his way to Calvary, and came to wipe away the sweat and blood that covered his face. According to tradition, she used her head veil for this purpose, on which was 'imprinted' with blood the face of Jesus, the Holy Face.
After the Passion of the Lord, Saint Veronica went to Rome carrying with her the veil with the 'Holy Face'. This veil would have been exposed for public veneration, and was permeating the faith of the people. Her action was reflected in the sixth station of the Stations of the Crosswhich is read on Good Friday in the Roman Colosseum. This station is usually entitled: 'A pious woman wipes the face of Jesus'.
Veronica's veil
It has been praised the courage of St. Veronica, for her act of love could have caused her danger from the Romans or the people. But she was moved and made her way through the crowd. Despite the saint's popularity, her name is not found in the current Roman Martyrology. Nor was it in the previous one.
The veil of Veronica has attracted numerous pilgrims to Rome. It seems to have been moved over the centuries and had been lost track of. However, in 1999, the German Jesuit Heinnrich Pfeiffer, professor of Art History at the Gregorian University (died in 2001), announced who had found it. The place was the Sanctuary of the Friars Minor Capuchin in Manoppello (Italy). Pope Benedict XVI visited this shrine in 2006.
