The Infant Jesus of Prague (Church of Our Lady Victorious)

Church Of Our Lady Victorious (Infant Jesus of Prague)

The most famous Christian statue in Prague is one of Child Jesus. Known as the Infant Jesus of Prague, the statue is placed in the Church of Our Lady Victorious, and it has been a symbol of Christian faith and Jesus’ teaching for millions of people around the world since its creation. The statue is old over 400 years, made in the 16th century and donated to the church in 1628.

The history of Infant Jesus of Prague

The statue was made in Spain in the 16th century, and several legends mention the creation of the sculpture and its miraculous power. One of the legends says that a little Jesus appeared to a priest. He afterwards has created the statue upon his vision. Another legend mentions St. Theresa, who donated the statue to her friend, who moved to Prague to get married.

The Infant Jesus in Prague

The Infant Jesus of Prague Statue

The statue had several owners for the first fifty years after its arrival in Prague. In 1628, it was donated to monastery of Our Lady of Victory in Prague, but the monastery was destroyed soon after during the Thirty Years War. The Infant Jesus of Prague was damaged, thrown away and forgotten.

The statue was found in 1638 by father Cyril. However, the infant was damaged as it missed both arms. The legend says that the father Cyril heard the infant talking to him when he found him. The infant was asking for help, and he was promising that he would bless him and the people as much as they would revere him.

The father Cyril found a way how to fix the statue, and that is where all the miracles begin. The infant Jesus of Prague blessed to the church, people and Prague. People believed that miraculous healings that have appeared throughout the time around the statue are its doing. Also, they thought that the infant initiated the rescue of Prague before the Swedish army in 1639.

The statue of little Jesus was revered more and more by people due to the miracles. The infant was carried around churches, and it was also given a new gown. The words about the spiritual power of the statue have spread around Europe and people started coming to Prague to see it or to pray for help.

However, the history has not always been favourable for the statue. It has experienced many critical moments. One of them is the reign of Josef II., who fought against faith and churches in 1784. Another one is the Second World War and, also, the expansion of the communism in Czechoslovakia. Despite this fact, the Infant of Jesus has always been revered by people around the world. They were coming for a blessing even during the difficult times.

The Church of Our Lady Victorious

The chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity was built in 1584 as a larger church for German Protestants. It was visited by Benedict XVI. in 2009 when he donated a golden crown to the Infant of Jesus.

Location

The church is located in the most historical region of Prague, called Malá strana (Little Side) or Menší Město pražské (Lesser Town of Prague).

The address of the church is: Karmelitská 9, 118 00 Praha 1

Opening hours

Church
Mon-Sat 8:30 am – 7 pm
Sun 8:30 am – 8 pm

Museum
Mon-Sat 9:30 am – 5 pm
Sun 1 pm – 6 pm
Free admission.

Services

The church holds services in Czech, English, Spanish, Italian and French languages. The most serviced day is Sunday.
There is also a possibility to book a pilgrim with a priest for groups.

The detailed schedule of services in different languages can be found here: https://www.pragjesu.cz/en/times-of-services-and-regular-programme/

Exhibitions

As a part of the church, there is also a museum dedicated to the statue of child Jesus. The museum offers a history of the Infant Jesus of Prague, and it presents the tradition of the clothing of the statue. The Infant Jesus of Prague has changed many robes throughout the time, as it was often donated new dresses by kings, queens and other significant figures in the world’s history.

In the museum, you can see robes donated by Maria Theresa and Paul Coelho. There is also the crown given by the pope Benedict XVI. and other parts of the statue’s gown that were received from various countries around the world.