Take a Closer Look: The Holy Face and the Metaphysics of the Image. May 2 and 3, 2025 Conference in Manoppello Promoted by the UKEN University of Krakow Poland

 

Editor's note:  I believe this conference to be the signifcant beginning of a process of understanding in a profound way the meaning of the Holy Face for all aspects of human culture.  This understanding is very much needed for the future of humanity to be rooted in Jesus Christ. 

On May 2 and 3, 2025, the Shrine of the Holy Face of Manoppello will host an international scientific conference entitled "Wpatrz się / Scrutare, Metafizyczność obrazu. Obfitość przenikania, czyli o synestetycznej wartości dzieła / Take a Closer Look: The metaphysics of the image. The abundance of permeation or the synesthetic value of the work", organized by the Art and Metaphysics Research Team from the University of the Commission of National Education in Krakow and the Convent of the Capuchin Friars Minor in Manoppello in collaboration with the Sister Handmaids of the Most Precious Blood from Poland who minister in Manoppello. The conference will take place in person and will be accompanied by an exhibition of artists, lecturers and students of the University entitled "Twarzą w Twarz/Face to Face".

    

                                                                                                                            

On the first day of the conference presentations and discussions will be held regarding the historical and contemporary context of the Holy Face, taking into account the influence of the centuries-old cultural and religious heritage of this image on the iconography of Christianity and the role it has to play in the contemporary world. In addition, Professor Father Heinrich Pfeiffer and his contribution to research in the 1990's on the Veil of Manoppello, which he identified as the Veronica, will be remembered.

On the second day of the conference there will be a panel dedicated to contemporary religious art and its contexts. Topics for the presentations will include attempts to apply scientific interpretative tools from the fields of philosophy, theology and art history to the Image of Manoppello and other acheropite relics, "not made by human hands". In reflections on their influence, the artists and exhibition participants will also share the influence of the Bible and hagiography on their creative process." Twarzą w Twarz/ Face to Face", will therefore not only be a space for the exchange of knowledge, but also a reflection on the role of the artist and the Church in the face of the challenges of modern times.

The conference seeks to be an opportunity not only for scientific reflection, but also for knowledge of the different attitudes and modes of expression that are represented in the community of artists who work in our research team on art and metaphysics.

During the international scientific session at the Casa del Pellegrino in Manoppello -- which will be honored by the presence of H.E. Msgr. Archbishop Bruno Forte of the Diocese of Chieti -- a number of clergy, publicists, researchers, art historians, philosophers and artists will speak: Czesław Gadacz OFMCap, Prof. Antonio Bini, H. M. Monika Gutowska SAS, Prof. Łukasz Murzyn , Dr Sebastian Stankiewicz, Prof. Rafal Solewski, Dr Kazimierz Piotrowski, Dr Bernadeta Stano, Anna Grąbczewska, Dr Agnieszka Daca, Dr Jacek Pasieczny, Mgr Stanisław Wójcicki. During the session, the film directed by Jarosław Rędziak entitled "The Face of Jesus" will be presented.

The conference will also present the exhibition of artists-teachers and students entitled: "Twarzą w Twarz / Face to Face", to enter the space of the Shrine in the most respectful way possible, but also to offer a unique forum for interdisciplinary dialogue.                        

"We would like our works to be a votive offering, something we leave here to express our gratitude for the fact that we were able to be in this particularly important place for us. We would like to bring our intentions and considerations related to the works that we carry the most intimate relationship possible, with God." - declare the artists.

We can therefore say that this exhibition is a sort of prayer of thanksgiving and an introduction to the artistic means for the contemplation of the Divine Face of Manoppello... and at the same time a preface for their further activities.                            

 Admission to the event is free.  All those interested in the topic of the conference are invited to participate in this important event.

The Apostle of the Holy Face Commemorated in Cese 120 Years After his Birth. His Special Relationship with Padre Pio Remembered.

 

"Thank you, Lord, for giving us Padre Domenico"                                                                                                           

by Antonio Bini

all photos by Antonio Bini except as noted

With these heartfelt words, Padre Guglielmo Alimonti, a disciple of Padre Pio, concluded to applause the solemn Mass celebrated in Cese in memory of Padre Domenico, 120 years after his birth, taking up the message of St. John Paul II who in concluding his speech on the occasion of the canonization of Padre Pio, exclaimed:  "Thank you Lord for giving us Padre Pio and for having given him to us in this generation."  And there was certainly no lack of further parallels between Padre Pio and Padre Domenico, whose memory is always alive, seeming to reach ever younger generations, as these gatherings help us to discover  

People waiting to enter the chapel where Padre Domenico is buried

Sister Handmaids of the Most Holy Blood in front of the Chapel

A Devotee signs the visitor's book at the tomb of Padre Domenico
(photo by Francesca Esposito Bini)

Before the celebration, many people spontaneously gathered in the small cemetery, at the gates of the town, to visit the tomb of Padre Domenico. The town, a hamlet of the municipality of Avezzano, has about 600 inhabitants. For the occasion, the town square and the side streets were taken over by cars from a number of parts of Italy.

The greetings of the city of Avezzano was expressed in the church by the Councilor Iride Cosimati, wearing the tricolor sash of her office, who recalled that she had always been impressed by the figure of Padre Domenico, whom she had known as a child, thanking the Capuchin fathers and those who came to Cese for his commemoration.

Padre Guglielmo meets Councillor Iride Cosimati. Behind her Sister Maria Matera

The Mass was preceded by a meeting with several Capuchin Fathers gathered in Cese for the occasion, welcomed by Padre Lorenzo Macerola and Padre Frederick Alorbu.     

    

Capuchins in front of the altar meet the devotees of Padre Pio

              

Among the Capuchins, seated in front of the altar, Father Domenico was remembered by Padre Guglielmo Alimonti and Padre Luciano Antonelli, both very close to Padre Domenico. Their testimonies were important and profound. Padre Guglielmo Alimonti is a well-known figure among the devotees of the Saint of Pietrelcina, and in particular among the Prayer Groups (he founded over five hundred in Italy and other European countries). At the age of 95 he is still very active in carrying on the memory of Padre Pio and there are many priests who turn to him from various parts of the world.  His speech was followed by that of Padre Luciano Antonelli. Both knew Padre Domenico since they were young students. The former, In the years following the death of Padre Pio, turned to him as a confessor, while the latter was his superior at the Shrine of Manoppello when Padre Domenico died on September 17, 1978. 

“It is good for us to meet together as friends and devotees of Padre Domenico", thus Padre Guglielmo warmly addressed those present, highlighting: "We too are here as confreres of Padre Domenico, we are here as people called by Padre Domenico himself to breathe for a moment the fragrance of his simplicity, his poverty, his seraphic charity, a true son of St. Francis." With these words the meeting opened.  We will combine his testimony together with that expressed during his homily, constituting, in fact, a single picture of the human and religious profile of the Capuchin, reporting some significant passages in the complete text and others summarized briefly.   

"Telling the lives of the saints means creating a mirror of the very life of Christ," said Padre Guglielmo, continuing: "Father Domenico often told us - because we urged him - "But when you were a child didn't you end up under the rubble of the earthquake?". That was the first extraordinary sign that the Lord performed to save the life of this future chosen one of his, as servant, and as holy priest. And it was said that he and his father had really come out of the rubble alive by a miracle. It was therefore a first sign, a ray of light on the life of this young boy." The friar was alluding to the catastrophic earthquake that devastated Marsica on January 13, 1915, causing the death of over 30 thousand people.

"I confessed to him as often as I could," continues Padre Guglielmo. "I was in Pescara not far from the Holy Face. He waited for me, met me, smiled at me, listened to me, caressed me, smiled at me and gave me signs of his holiness and also of his charisms", and then Padre Domenico’s relationship with Padre Pio: "Padre Domenico had a special friendship with Padre Pio and I had been with Padre Pio for years. The confreres knew that Padre Domenico went as a military chaplain to San Giovanni Rotondo (in 1940).  It is known that Padre Dominic went to see Padre Pio several times. There are a number of testimonies that Padre Domenico was seen following the coffin with the body of Padre Pio during the procession that was conducted throughout the town. And they also said to him: "Padre Domenico but weren't you there?" and he never answered explicitly, leaving it understood, as always happens when you want to "extract something" from the saints - and Padre Dominic was this way in his soul, in his heart, in his vocation, in his life – keeping his secrets. The saints prefer to leave them secret."

The friar was keen to point out that "the celebration we are holding today is not only a historical commemoration of the 120 years of Father Domenico, but it is a memory of graces, consolation, conversion", once again associating the memory of the friar with that of Padre Pio.

Padre Guglielmo giving the homily at the Mass

And further"Father Domenico showed that he was a man of God, because he was attracted by God, by Christ he was truly enlightened, consoled, strengthened. In him there was this boundless charity. Padre Domenico for many years, a bit like Padre Pio, welcomed people who came wherever he was, people ran everywhere, so much so that the superiors, almost disturbed by this phenomenon, sent him to smaller, more remote convents, so people did not get there. And it did not happen this way. People go where there is a saint. This was his mission until the end". In fact, Padre Domenico underwent many transfers in the course of his religious life and we know that even in Manoppello, where the flow of devotees had become increasingly remarkable, there was though of yet another, last transfer, opposed by many of his admirers. 

from left: Padre Guglielmo, Padre Lorenzo Macerola, Padre Luciano Antonelli, Deacon Antonio Masci

Finally, Padre Guglielmo did not fail to highlight as "the last stage" of his earthly life, Padre Domenico’s death that took place in Turin where he had gone for the exposition of the Shroud, which he does not refer to, defining the moment as "a luminous piece in the life of Father Domenico", who also there revealed himself to be a man of charity, consoling and encouraging the young man who had caused the accident. "He who acted as a guide to all the pilgrims who went to Manoppello, showing and explaining the face of Jesus, had said in confidence that he would not die in Manoppello, but would die after seeing the face of Jesus. We understood later the meaning of this statement".

Padre Luciano Antonelli also spoke recalling how in September 1977 he was transferred from Chieti to Manoppello, the place where Father Domenico, died a year later, on September 17, 1978, after having been present there for some time

"It was a fabulous year," he says, "one of the best years of my religious life because, I don't know, maybe there was also our youthfulness, that we were young. At that time there were four of us in the convent, but it seemed as if we were a caravan on the way. There was an atmosphere of mutual and beautiful love. And I attribute this precisely to the presence of Padre Domenico. The convent was filled with him. With his presence, his power, his voice and his prayers he filled both the convent and the shrine. It was a beautiful year." 

Padre Luciano also related his memory of an episode of exemplary obedience by Padre Domenico, whom he visited when he was a young student during a summer period spent in the convent of Campi, which for reasons of brevity we will leave out. 

Padre Luciano recalled the flow of devotees who then came to the Holy Face, because of Padre  Domenico: "they came from Puglia, from Ruvo di Puglia and Andria, together with Sister Amalia, from Pescara, from the parts of Ascoli. Buses came from Germany to stay sometimes for days, to go to confession, to meet, to talk with Father Domenico and I tell you that people returned home in a different way from how they had come, all full of joy, of a spirit of prayer".  And again: "I must tell you that I saw the holiness of Father Domenico from him, always present very early in the morning, he who opened the church, he knelt there, in the choir. Together we prayed. But he was the first. Prayer was truly his central focus and that of all those who came to him.  Padre Dominic was loved, Padre Dominic converted, because he prayed. He was ready to give, to give himself, ready to answer the phone, answer letters. We cannot fail to remember Brother Vincenzo D'Elpidio, who collected many letters from Father Domenico, some of which have been published." Brother Vincenzo tirelessly continued his work of collecting testimonies, but also of organizing meetings and maintaining relationships with many devotees, until his death on December 15, 2020. 

Father Domenico's holiness, together with his relationship with the Holy Face and St. Padre Pio, constantly resurfaced in a recurring and profound way throughout the afternoon. An opportunity not only to remember the birth of the friar, but also to maintain his memory and therefore to continue to support the reasons that justify unblocking the process for his beatification and canonization, resuming its journey, inexplicably stopped ten years after the granting of the Nihil Obstat (nihil osta), expressed by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on March 3, 2015.

But Father Domenico's holiness, recalled by his confreres, was already widespread and recognized during his lifetime by many of his devotees, who continue to remember and venerate him.

Banner of the Association in Honor of the Holy Face of Manoppello
(photo by Francesca Esposito Bini)

The organization of the event was an initiative of the "Association in Honor of the Holy Face of Manoppello", established in 2022 in Tagliacozzo, also in the name of Padre Domenico, whose image, together with that of the Holy Face, recurs in the banner made by the expert hands of Marie Antoinette Rubeo. 

Rita Tabacco converses with Sr. Maria Matera surrounded by Apulian devotees
of the Holy Face

And it was precisely to the president of the Association, Rita Tabacco, that the provincial of the Capuchins of Central Italy, Padre Simone Calvarese, addressed his message of greeting given to those present, read by deacon Antonio Masci:                      

 "I learn with joy of the happy event that you have decided to celebrate because of the 120th anniversary of the birth of Father Domenico da Cese. I hope in God and I pray that the celebratory moment that you will be called to live will be such as to awaken in those present, and not only them, that genuine yearning that impels consciences to seek the profound meaning of the truth. For us Christians, truth has a face and a name, Jesus Christ. Father Domenico da Cese, through devotion to the Holy Face of Manoppello, transmitted to the faithful the importance of seeing, in every needy human being, Christ who said: "Whatever you did to one of my smallest garments, you did it to me" (Mt 25:40). May God therefore also grant you. the gift of being able to love him only everything and love our neighbor as Christ loved us."  

Padre Guglielmo talks with Sr. Maria Matera 

The event was animated by the Padre Pio Prayer Group of Pescara. Present were devotees of the Volto Santo Association of Ruvo di Puglia and the Volto Santo Association of Andria, together with Sister Maria Matera, disciple of the Holy Face and sister of Sister Amalia Di Rella, from Ruvo di Puglia, who was the spiritual daughter of Father Domenico. We recall that it was in the church of the Purgatory of Ruvo that the first enthronement of the Holy Face took place, in memory of Padre Domenico, in 1979, a few months after his death. The Handmaids of the Holy Blood, Polish nuns present in Manoppello since 2011, also participated in the event.

Finally, being in the Church of Santa Maria di Cese, I cannot help but remember how it was destroyed by the earthquake of 1915, where many people perished, including two little sisters of Padre Domenico who, on the other hand, was saved by a young man who pulled him out of the rubble, whose face he recognized many years later, arriving in Manoppello, where with surprise he recognized it as that of the Holy Face. A circumstance that he told some  people close to him, as per the testimonies collected. 

Church of Santa Maria di Cese

Well, in this church we notice some reproductions of the image in the vision of Sister Faustina Kowalska but not also that of the Holy Face, which we can find, instead, in distant places of the world. It is to be hoped that in the not too distant future, in this church, as in others in the world, there will be an image of him. It would be a significant way to remember Padre Domenico himself, who was a pioneer in the dissemination of the Holy Face, whose divine nature he had perceived.

He is Risen!

 

Photo by Paul Badde/EWTN

May the Face of the Risen Christ shine on you now and forever!

See the wonderful article by the artist Patricia Enk of New Orleans from her blog Illumina Domine.

https://illuminadomine.com/2025/04/19/the-cloth-that-covered-his-his-head-the-cloths-of-the-resurrection/

Photo by Paul Badde/EWTN

Excellent Book on the Holy Face of Manoppello by Italian Priest, Pastor and Theologian now Available in English

  

Mons. Walter Amaducci has authored a book which is an excellent introduction to the Holy Face of Manoppello summarizing in a concise, personal and profound way many important aspects of the Holy Face from his vantage point as believer, priest, pastor, and theologian.  The author has an impressive background in service to the Church in the diocese of Cesena-Sarsina in Italy,  as episcopal vicar for pastoral care in the diocese, director of the diocesan school of theology and pastor of San Pietro Church in Cesena.

Mons. Amaducci originally had extreme doubts about the authenticity of the Holy Face declaring "it's so ugly", but through the influence of parishioners and priest friends, and especially after reading in an obituary of Pope Benedict XVI that the pontiff had made a pilgrimage to the Holy Face, he determined to make his own visit to the shrine of Manoppello in April of 2023 with a small group.  

The sight of the Holy Face impressed him greatly and reminded him of the emotional experience he had on August 30, 1978 when he concelebrated Mass a few meters from the Shroud of Turin, describing it as an "authentic and moving 'encounter" which caused him joy and to exclaim "it's even beautiful" referring to the Holy Face.  

From that moment he has dedicated himself to deepening his knowledge of the Holy Face, by contemplating the sacred image in the light of the Holy Scriptures and the tradition of the Church, and by consulting experts on the Holy Face, above all by speaking with Sister Blandina Paschalis Schloemer, and referring to the published works of Fr. Heinrich Pfeiffer, Paul Badde and Saverio Gaeta.  

Now Mons. Amaducci, having been convinced of the importance of the Holy Face wishes to make the Holy Face, and its significance for believers, known to more and more people.    

His book, first published in Italian, is now available from Amazon in English translation both in paperback and in e-book format Click on link to order as well as in German and soon in Spanish. It includes a good number of images of the Holy Face, and of the shrine and deserves to be widely known.

Cardinal Tagle Brings the Entire Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples on Retreat to the Holy Face

 

by Antonio Bini   

photos taken from Facebook page of the Basilica of the Holy Face of Manoppello

https://www.facebook.com/basilicavoltosanto

About 150 people, that is, all the religious and lay personnel of the Dicastery for Evangelization, coming from various countries of the world, participated in the Lenten Retreat at the Shrine of the Holy Face on March 18, presided over by the prefect of the Dicastery, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, assisted by Archbishop Msgr. Fortunatus Nwachukwu from Nigeria, former Apostolic Nuncio and Secretary of the Section for the First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches, and by Archbishop Samuele Sangalli, Assistant Secretary of the same Dicastery. Fr. Antonio Gentili, Rector of the Shrine, welcomed the Cardinal and those accompanying him, aware of the symbolic importance of the event.

During the retreat, a meditation on the Face of Jesus was lead by Fr. Luciano Morra, S.J., former superior of a community in Taiwan. For Msgr. Samuele Sangalli, named archbishop by Pope Francis on February 5, the retreat immediately preceded the solemn liturgy of his episcopal ordination, which took place in St. Peter's the following day, in the presence of over 30 cardinals and bishops, with the principal consecrator being Card. Louis Antonio Tagle, who was appointed bishop by St. John Paul II in 2001 and created cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011. We also recall that the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples was the first Cardinal in the history of the Shrine to join - on May 20, 2017 - the traditional procession on foot from the Basilica to the town, together with many Italian and foreign pilgrims. Very devoted to the sacred image, he has distinguished himself in the dissemination of the Holy Face, especially in Asian countries.  According to credible sources, Cardinal Tagle was among the candidates at the conclave in 2013 which elected Pope Francis.  

Cardinal Tagle during the May 20, 2017 procession (photo by Antonio Bini)

The Face of the Resurrection Explained by Sr. Blandina Paschalis Schlömer

Salì sul tramonto "luce vera, quella che illumina ogni uomo" 

(He Rose Above the Sunset, "the true light, that enlightens every man") 

      

authored by Sr. Blandina Paschalis Schlömer

Reviewed by Antonio Bini

Available at the Souvenir shop of the Shrine and online:  https://www.souvenirvoltosanto.com/product/libro-sali-sul-tramonto-di-suor-blandina-paschalis-schlomer/

                                                                                                                                                  

Sr. Blandina Paschalis Schlömer (photo by Antonio Bini)

In the Jubilee year, the first book in Italian by the scholar of the Holy Face

As Fr. Carmine Cucinelli, long-time rector of the Shrine of Manoppello, explains in the introduction, the book is the first published in Italian by Sr. Blandina Paschalis Schlömer and follows previous publications on the Holy Face published in recent years by the nun from Germany in German, English, French and Polish.

It is, however, a completely new book, apart from some brief initial references to testimonies expressed in 1999 by Fr. Heinrich Pfeiffer, who recognized that the research of Sr. Blandina constituted "a sure foundation" for subsequent investigations on the Holy Face, and by Fr. Andrea Resch, the first scholar to favor the publication of her studies.

An eagerly awaited book, of 354 pages, with a complex layout, especially for the vast iconographic store consisting of 126 illustrations, twenty tables and an appendix of images on transparent slides of the Shroud, the Holy Face and the bloody Sudarium of Oviedo which, in superimposition, allow the evocative personal experience of seeing a single face. A further slide guides the reader to the points of congruence.

The work is composed of various sections, characterized by frequent biographical references, in which the scholar traces her relationship with the Holy Face which began progressively, after an initial refusal, in the years 1979-1980, once she became aware of the existence of another face, in addition to the Shroud, which she had previously studied.

The Trappist nun, a graduate in pharmacy and scholar of Christian iconography, sensed that the face of the Shroud and that of the Holy Face, representations of the death and resurrection of Christ, although apparently distant from each other, could be superimposed, with increasingly detailed research, leading to the conclusion that it must be a single face.

A unique circumstance as confirmed by the archbishop of the diocese of Chieti-Vasto, the theologian Bruno Forte, in one of his contributions in the book.

However, these results have not always been accepted in past years, as they challenged established beliefs.

Sr. Blandina admits that even in her convent "a growing misunderstanding" emerged. A situation that led her to ask to be assigned to the monastery of Helfta, then in the process of being refounded, a highly symbolic place, as that convent is linked to the lives of St. Gertrude and St. Matilda of Hackeborn, united by their special veneration of the Holy Face. In 2003 she had the opportunity to return to Italy, to Manoppello, where various circumstances convinced her to stay forever.

At first it was not easy, she recalls, including due to her lack of knowledge of the Italian language, but she remembers how she was spontaneously helped by some people from the village, who found her accommodation in an isolated farmhouse, in the hills, near the Shrine. I remember that a stable with two pigs continued to operate, and was later transformed into a small chapel, a place of prayer and meditation. Today, thanks also to the support of a German patron devoted to the Holy Face, the area has been expanded, with a larger chapel and meeting places, becoming an oasis of spirituality in the greenery , which is also the headquarters of the Association of Our Lady of the Holy Face, which supported the publication. From the window of her study, surrounded by numerous images of the Holy Face, her gaze is constantly turned towards the Shrine.

There are many individuals and groups who, arriving at the Shrine of Manoppello, also go to the hermitage to meet Sr. Blandina, well known among Italian and foreign scholars, especially after the historic visit of Benedict XVI.

A section of the book contains the exposition of various considerations expressed by physicians. A first "consultation" was promoted by Sr. Blandina, which in 2011 involved some Austrian and German doctors with different specializations: Elisabeth Koch (Austria), Harald and Maria Keller (Germany), Bertha Vera Wahrmann (Germany), Rudolf Tielsch (Austria), Cornelia Wehr (Austria), Ute Stass (Germany).

During 2012 a group of doctors from Chieti, encouraged by Mons. Bruno Forte, archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, met several times in Manoppello, deepening the mystery of the Holy Face. These are their names: Lucia Marchione, Luciano Paolo Marchionno, Piero Scipione, Fernando Galluppi, Pasquale Capone, Marina De Cesare. On this occasion, Fr. Ceslao Gadacz, then a member of the friary of the Shrine, participated wholeheartedly in the work, taking care of the creation of several videos in which images of the meetings and reflections expressed by the doctors were collected. Their consultation is facilitated with access via QR-code reported in the book.   

Photo taken at a recent gathering of the Italian doctors who collaborated with
Sr. Blandina on a section of the book (Photo by Antonio Bini)

                                                   

In the final elaboration of the contents, Sr. Blandina involved Dr. Francesca Esposito for an updated recognition of the scientific interpretations collected in past years.

The German scholar explains that the delay with which these studies are made public is due to her only recently acquired mastery of the Italian language, which has allowed her to finally consider the relevance of the doctors' theses, long kept in a drawer.

There is no shortage of references to other important research, such as those carried out by Prof. Pietro Baraldi in 2007, using Raman 2 laser technology, never previously disclosed, or regarding her intuition of marine byssus, which she shared and developed with the writer Paul Badde, confirmed by Chiara Vigo, the last expert master of the so-called sea silk, who lives on the island of Sant'Antioco. Also worth mentioning are various historical-artistic references to Veronica, which lead back to the Holy Face. Among these, the case of the altarpiece of the Holy Face-Veronica by Ugo da Carpi, examined very closely during the exhibition in the artist’s hometown in 2024, five centuries after its creation, commissioned by Pope Clement VII for the Jubilee of 1525.

Finally, it is necessary to refer to the title of the book, with which the author recalls the words of Pope St. Gregory the Great “he rose above the sunset because by rising again he trampled on the death he had endured”, an image that exhorts us to recognize Jesus in his resurrection, a perspective that constitutes the perennial horizon of Sister Blandina's mission, in continuity with what was the prophetic thought expressed by Fr. Domenico da Cese, a charismatic Capuchin, whose beatification she hopes to be able to attend, who affirmed with conviction of the Holy Face: "This is the face of the Risen One".

The important work constitutes, in the hopes of the author herself, who has dedicated her life to the Holy Face, an opportunity for scholars and devotees eager to delve into the complex material and spiritual reality of the veil of Manoppello. Knowing her, we can say that even at 82 years of age her research certainly does not end with this book.

Back Cover of Sr. Blandina's Book with reference to the Homily of Pope St. Gregory the Great on the Resurrection quoting Psalm 68 and the Gospel of John 1:9

Holy Year Pilgrimages to Italy Which Include a visit to the Shrine of the Holy Face of Manoppello

 

Bishop Erik Thomas Pohlmeier of the Diocese of St. Augustine celebrated Mass at the Shrine of the Holy Face of Manoppello (photo from the Facebook page of the Shrine https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=basilica%20volto%20santo%20di%20manoppello)

During this year of Jubilee 2025 many pilgrimages from the USA have been organized which include a visit to the Shrine of the Holy Face of Manoppello.  On January 21 Bishop Erik Thomas Pohlmeier of the Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida led a group of his faithful to the Shrine of the Holy Face of Manoppello.  Below is a list of pilgrimages which I have found that are advertised on the internet.  Some of them may already be fully booked but are accepting applications for a waiting list.  

https://lolekpilgrimage.org/jubileepilgrimage-2025  November 12 to 22 with Fr. Lynx Soliman

https://insidethevaticanpilgrimages.com/pilgrimage/italy-journey-toward-the-face-of-christ/  I would highly recommend this pilgrimage  May 24 to June 3

https://thecatholictraveler.com/catholic-pilgrimages/early-october-in-italy-jubilee-edition/  October 7 to 17 on wait list

https://thecatholictraveler.com/catholic-pilgrimages/late-october-in-italy-jubilee-edition/  October 21 to 31 on wait list

https://app.nativitypilgrimage.com/trip/?trip=74531  Pilgrimage led by Fr. Rocky of Relevant Radio -   October 14 to 24 on wait list

https://www.catholicjourneys.com/tour/shrines-of-italy-pilgrimage/  This travel agency has a number of pilgrimages organized throughout 2025 and into 2026 which are planning to visit the Holy Face

https://www.206tours.com/cms/frswengros/  May 15 to 22  Fr. Bill Swengros Spiritual Director

https://www.holytravels.org/frbennerfielditaly  May 12 to 21 to celebrate 25th anniversary of priestly ordination of Fr. Herb Bennerfield

https://saltandlightradio.com/pilgrimage April 28 to May 9 with Fr. Nelson Cintra and Deacon Lou Aaron

https://www.footprintsofgodpilgrimages.com/pilgrimage/italy-051525/  May 15 to 25 on wait list. Highly recommended.  Organized by Steve and Janet Ray  

https://polandmej.com/2025%20Pilgrimages/us_may%2028th%202025_pilgrimage.htm May 28 to June 8.  The webpage for this pilgrimage states that "this itinerary is subject to change without notice"

https://cdow.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Diocese-of-Wilmington-Pilgrimage-to-Italy-Tour-Brochure-1.pdf  October 26 to November 5,  Spiritually led by the Most Reverend William E. Koenig, D.D.

https://www.ctscentral.net/travel-tours/hawaii-island-catholics-pilgrimage-to-italy  September 17 to 28 Hawaii Island pilgrimage to Italy

https://www.tektonministries.org/pilgrimage_pages/pilgrimage-to-italy-october-6-2025/  October 6 to 16

https://www.argiletumtour.com/pilgrimages-in-italy/pilgrimage-in-italy-assisi-and-san-giovanni-rotondo/   arrange own tour from Rome with a group from 2 to 8 travelers.

https://www.littleflowerpilgrimages.com/tour-index  April 22 to May 1, 2025 pilgrimage for the canonization of Bl. Carlo Acutis 

https://www.ihtours.com/tour/pilgrimage-to-italy-26/  Sold out under spiritual leadership of Fr. Thomas Lim September 27 to October 10 

https://topaztravels.com/traveldez/product/tour/package/detail.php?itemcode=TPZ-0045  Departing from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on many dates throughout the year

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57d3228de4fcb5c486aabedd/t/674795a19e4ea61989975cc2/1732744611020/2025+-+Year+of+Jubilee+-+Pilgrimage+to++Italy+and+Poland.pdf    October 6 to October 20  Spiritual Director Bishop Slawomir Szkredka  (auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles)  also includes shrines in Poland

https://petersway.com/docs/1259FrEricRapagliaItalyOct25.pdf  October 21 to 30 led by Fr. Eric Rapaglia

https://www.petersway.com/docs/1190MsgrFerrareseItaly2025.pdf  June 21 to 30 To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Immaculate Conception parish, led by Msgr. Fernando Ferrarese

https://www.pentecosttours.com/tours/fr-peter-towsleyitaly-jubilee-yearapril-21-may-2-2025tour-50421/3783/  April 21 to May 2, includes canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, led by Fr. Peter Towsley

I have found the following webpage to be a helpful introduction to those visiting the Shrine of the Holy Face for the first time https://catholicsay.com/mysterious-image-of-the-face-of-jesus-is-kept-in-this-italian-church/

Celebration at Manoppello for the Feast of Omnis Terra and Opening of the Holy Door for the Jubilee Year

 

(Photo by Antonio Bini)

(Photo by Alexandra Prandell)

On January 19, the Second Sunday after Epiphany, also known as Omnis Terra Sunday, there was a Eucharistic celebration at the Shrine of the Holy Face of Manoppello attended by an overflowing congregation presided by the Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, Mons. Bruno Forte with concelebrants Fr. Antonio Gentili, Rector of the Shrine and Fr. Simone Cavalrese, Capuchin Provincial. The celebration marked the tenth annual renewal of the historic Omnis Terra pilgrimage began by Pope Innocent XIII in the twelfth century to give honor to the Holy Face of Jesus miraculously imprinted on a cloth. This same cloth is now preserved at the Shrine of the Holy Face. As part of the celebration the Archbishop opened the Holy Door at the Shrine for the Jubilee Year 2025. At the end of the celebration a short procession with the Holy Face took place and the Archbishop imparted a benediction with the Holy Face. Archbishop Forte's inspiring homily follows below.

The Holy Face, a source of joy that fills the heart

Homily at the Mass at the Shrine of the Holy Face in Manoppello

Sunday, January 19, 2025

+ Bruno Forte

Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto

The theme that dominates the entire liturgy of the Word this Sunday is that of joy. This is a central motif of biblical faith, as Pope Francis makes us understand in a significant passage of Gaudete et exsultate, the Apostolic Exhortation dedicated to the call to holiness in the contemporary world (19 March 2018), where he states: "The prophets announced the time of Jesus, which we are living, as a revelation of joy: 'Sing and be glad!' (Is 12:6); "Ascend a high mountain, you who bring glad tidings to Zion! Lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good news to Jerusalem" (Is 40:9); "Cry out for joy, O mountains, for the Lord comforts his people and has mercy on their poor" (Is 49:13) ...» (no. 123). I would therefore like to reflect on the relationship between the Face of Jesus, whom we contemplate in this Shrine, and the joy of the disciple, who looks at him and allows himself to be looked at by the Son who came among us in an intense bond of faith and love.

The text taken from the prophet Isaiah (62:1-5), written to give courage and hope to the people who have returned from the long experience of exile, is first and foremost a song of love: "For the sake of Zion I will not be silent, for the sake of Jerusalem I will not rest, until her righteousness rises like dawn and her salvation shines like a lamp". The dawn announced by Isaiah is the hour when the Lord's love for His people will be manifested in righteousness and glory as the fruit of the spousal covenant established between God and Israel forever. The joy that will follow will be that of the people, who feel chosen and loved, but it will also be the joy of God, equal to that of a bridegroom before His beloved: "As the bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you". Joy is having the experience of feeling loved and loving: when this love, then, comes from the Lord and is therefore eternal and perfect, joy can only be infinite and eternal. Such is the joy of which Jesus came to bring to the world the proclamation and the gift: therefore, contemplating His Face fills the heart with joy, making us feel the beauty of knowing that we are loved and making us capable of loving. 

In the passage from Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (12:4-11), the Apostle insists on the joy due to the abundance of gifts or charisms that the Spirit pours out on believers and that are expressed in the variety of ministries in which the one and only Lord works: "There are many activities, but one is God, who works all in all". To each one, Paul says, "a particular manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good... wisdom... knowledge... faith... Healing... Miracles... prophecy... discernment... languages... But all these things are done by the one and the same Spirit, distributing them to each one as he wills." It is a shower of graces that the Spirit pours out, and each one is suitable precisely for the recipient to whom it is given: the joy of the gift is the source of passionate and generous commitment on the part of each one, in the power of Pentecost, so that the industriousness of each one, faithful to what he has received, may be a source of truth, justice, peace, freedom and joy for all. From the Face of the beloved Lord, grace radiates to the faces of the loved and the gift of joy given to each one becomes active love for the good and full joy of all. The Holy Face radiates joy because it is the transparent image of a heart that loves and by loving transmits joy to anyone who accepts its gift with faith.

Finally, in the passage taken from the Gospel according to John (2:1-11) the miracle of the water transformed into wine by Jesus at a wedding feast celebrated in Cana in Galilee is recounted, where the Mother of the Lord is also present and intervenes with caring love. The atmosphere is one of festive joy, until the moment when the wine fails and fear creeps in that sadness may take the place of the feast. The miracle of the water transformed into excellent wine by Jesus, in response to his mother's caring request, shows how much he cares about the joy of spouses and their loved ones together with them. The particularly beautiful message is that the eternal Son has the joy of creatures at heart and will give it through all the signs that He will work in the days of His flesh, as the conclusion of the story assures us: "This, at Cana in Galilee, was the beginning of the signs performed by Jesus; he manifested his glory and his disciples believed in him." The glory of God is the living man, as Saint Irenaeus of Lyons says, and the life of man is the vision of God: and all this is accomplished in a most pure, intense joy.

The joy that Jesus gives to anyone who believes in him is born from the acceptance of the good news of divine love that forgives, reconciles, transfigures and saves in time and for eternity. It is the joy that fills the heart of those who believe, as Jesus himself declared: "I have spoken these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be full" (Jn 15:11). It is the joy that the disciples offer by proclaiming the Gospel and transmitting new life in Christ, that joy by which they know that they must be - according to an expression of the Apostle Paul - the "co-workers of the joy" of all (cf. 2 Cor 1:24). Meditating, then, on the gift of joy in relation to the encounter with the Holy Face, who looks at us, loves us and fills us with joy, we can recognize a threefold message: the source of joy is Christ, the Son of God who came among us to flood us with love from on high and thus make us feel rich in the joy of being loved and of being able to love; the model of joy is always Jesus, who with His Face makes us understand that joy must be welcomed and given, in a direct and personal relationship with the other, analogous to the one that His gaze and His Face establish with each one of us; the destination of joy is in ourselves and in those whom God entrusts to us and to whom he sends us, because joy is not a good to be jealously guarded, but an overflowing river to be shared and spread with the choices and gestures of lived charity. Anyone who presumes to stop joy in his heart will lose it immediately, and he who does not know how to draw it ever anew from the inexhaustible source would risk being deprived of it.

The Holy Face is therefore the source, model and goal of joy, and contemplating it makes us not only joyful because it makes us feel loved in the Beloved, but sent as missionaries in love with the joy that only true love can give, that love that comes from God and returns to Him through the necessary and precious passage of others to be loved,  especially if they are small, poor and in need of justice and love. Turning to the Holy Face of Jesus we can then praise thus:  

Lord Jesus, You are the Face of eternal love and You wanted to look at us with eyes of mercy, pouring out the Holy Spirit as the perfume of Your grace and diffuser of the joy that You alone can give to our hearts and to the whole universe. You wanted to touch us in order to be touched by us, and you let yourself be tasted in the bread of life, capable of nourishing our weakness and making us collaborators in the joy of all. Speak to us again, envelop us with your presence, and grant that the encounter with you in this holy place may be the new beginning of the history of salvation, charity and joy, to which you call our hearts and all your people, pilgrims in time. And Mary, who first contemplated your Face and kissed it with the tenderness of a Mother, feeling full of love and joy, she who saw him close his eyes on the arms of the cross in an offering of total love, a source of forgiveness, salvation and joy for us, she who contemplated him risen as the giver of true and full life and now contemplates him in glory,  living to intercede for us with the Father, help us to be faithful and joyful disciples of Your Truth that enlightens and saves. Grant that by welcoming you through the grace of the Jubilee indulgence, offered by Mother Church in the sacraments, in works of charity and in faith as a merciful care of our frailties, we may be credible witnesses of the joy that your Face, revelation and gift of infinite love, transmits to the hearts of the humble, who love you by letting themselves be loved by you. Lord of joy, may Your Face help us to be convinced and contagious spreaders of the joy that will never disappoint us. Amen!

Sunday January 19 the Feast of Omnis Terra to be Celebrated at Manoppello

Poster by Sr. Blandina Schloemer and the Association of Our Lady of the Holy Face

 This Sunday January 19 the annual celebration of the feast of Omnis Terra will be celebrated at the Basilica of the Holy Face of Manoppello with a Mass beginning at 11am and including a procession and blessing Urbi et Orbi (of the city and the world).  The liturgy will be presided by Archbishop Bruno Forte of the local diocese of Chieti-Vasto, with concelebrants Father Simon Calvarese, OFM, Cap. the Capuchin Provincial and Father AntonioGentili, OFM, Cap. the Rector of the Shrine. 

Digital Edition of the Magazine of the Shrine of the Holy Face of Manoppello

 

Link to Digital Copy of December 2024 edition of Shrine's Magazine

The Shrine of the Holy Face regularly publishes a magazine Il Volto Santo di Manoppello with news of the Shrine's activities regarding the devotion to the Holy Face and includes much spiritual encouragement in our Catholic faith.

In addition to the print copy a digital copy is available through the internet. The latest edition can be accessed through the link above.

Prior issues of the magazine can be accessed through the link 

https://www.voltosanto.it/bollettini/

By using Google or other browser Translate feature the Italian text can be translated into English or other language.