How devotion to the Child Jesus stopped an epidemic

The city of Prague was protected from the plague on multiple occasions through devotion to the Child Jesus.

One of the most well-known devotions to the Child Jesus is represented by the miraculous statue of the Infant of Prague. It is a statue that has a fascinating history, and the devotion it inspired has been the source of countless miracles over the centuries.

In particular, it is recorded that on multiple occasions devotion to the Infant Jesus protected the city of Prague from an epidemic.

Fr. Peter Davies writes in his booklet, The Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague, how an infectious disease was ravaging the area, but suddenly stopped.

The pestilence called the “black plague” was raging through the land. Some of the community became ill, others had to be sent away … In all this trouble, the Prior himself was attacked by the plague, and was brought to death’s door. Father Cyril urged him to invoke the aid of the Divine Child. The Prior then and there promised that if he recovered, he would offer a novena of Masses before the statue of the Holy Infant. At once he felt relief, and in a few days was completely restored to health. He became a fervent promoter of devotion to the Divine Child, and assigned a special chapel for the veneration of the image of the little King.

This was not the first (or last) time that the Infant Jesus protected individuals and even the entire city.

In another booklet, published by the Catholic Truth Society, author Glynn MacNiven-Johnson gives two more examples.

Miracles continued to be reported and many were recorded by one of the priors … (including the protection of the city from the plague), publishing, in 1749, a book detailing them.

This story is further explained with more details.

During the seventeenth century there was an outbreak of the plague in Bohemia and the disease was ravaging the country. One night the prior saw a glow from the chapel and afraid that the votive candles had set fire to the building he rushed in to check. Instead he saw the orb the Infant was holding, slowly turning and glowing. Seven small figures knelt before the glowing globe. As the prior looked the vision faded and the next day the plague was halted.

There are many other stories of individuals being healed through devotion to the Child Jesus, and devotion to the Infant of Prague remains to this day a consolation to many who are suffering.