The devotion to the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and particularly to His Holy Face is one of the oldest in the Christian tradition. This venerable devotion was practiced by such great saints as St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Gertrude the Great, St. Mechtilde, St. Edmund, St. Bonaventure and St. Therese of Lisieux. Beginning in 1844, Our Lord appeared to Sr. Mary of St. Peter and expressed His desire that whole world should know and practice this devotion in reparation for man's blasphemy. Through the efforts of Sr. Mary St. Peter, Ven. Leo DuPont and countless others, this devotion has become one of the most loved, and remains one of the most needed in our time. Eternal Father, we offer Thee the Adorable Face of Thy Well Beloved Son for the honor and glory of Thy Holy Name and for the salvation of all men. Prayer of Pope Blsd. Pius IX