On August 26, 1843, Jesus appeared to French Carmelite nun Sister Mary of Saint Peter for the first time and presented the Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus.
He presented this devotion to her for three primary purposes: to make reparation for blasphemy against God, profanation of Sundays and Holy Days, and atheism. The devotion is a powerful weapon against evil, particularly communism and the enemies of God.
In one of many promises attached to the Holy Face, Jesus told Sister Mary of Saint Peter,
"By offering My Face to My Eternal Father, nothing will be refused, and the conversion of many sinners will be obtained."
In an exclusive interview, producer Oscar Delgado (Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist) speaks with ChurchPOP editor Jacqueline Burkepile about his upcoming film, “The Face of Jesus.”
The film explores the various images of Jesus that have surfaced over the years, including the Shroud of Turin, the Veil of Manoppello, and the first Divine Mercy painting by artist Eugene Kazimirowski. It also tells the story of Sister Mary of Saint Peter, her visions of Jesus, and the power of this devotion.
Here is the interview with producer Oscar Delgado about ‘The Face of Jesus’ below:
Delgado discusses the importance of this forgotten devotion to Jesus’ Holy Face in battling the evils of today’s culture.
"The Holy Face devotion is one of the things that the Lord gave to combat against communism, and against masonry and everything else,” Delgado says.
Delgado also mentions the providential connection between the release of this film and Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate.
"The timing is really providential because Leo XIII and now Leo XIV, and all of this is interconnecting,” Delgado explains.
Pope Leo XIII officially approved the Holy Face Devotion during his pontificate in 1885. He then established the Archconfraternity of the Holy Face, to which Saint Therese of Lisieux’s (or Saint Therese of the Holy Face of Jesus') family belonged, and were some of its first members.
This renewed interest in the Holy Face devotion also links to a possible revival in Leonine spirituality.
“Leo XIII, which, as you know, was instrumental in not only promoting social justice, but the rosary and archconfraternities; the devotion of the Holy Face,” Delgado says. “It's kind of amazing that now lifting that up, and now we have Leo XIV, that we will continue with that type of spirituality, the devotion, and everything else.”
"The important thing about this film,” Delgado continues, “is to see the connection that all these images have—the face and everything else—and how important it is, the face of Jesus.”