Where can I learn more about St. Veronica?

[KenLivengood]

My wife loves the devotion of Veronica and what she did for Jesus. Can you tell me more about Veronica, and maybe help me in getting artwork or books or something on Veronica for my wife?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Here is a Q&A on St. Veronica that I wrote awhile back and that ran in the September 2004 issue of Catholic Answers’ magazine This Rock:

Q: Lately I have read some articles about the origins and authenticity of a woman named Veronica. This name has brought about curiosity because of how little information exists about her and because of her association with the Stations of the Cross. Why would the Church grant sainthood to someone without being certain of her existence?

A: In the early centuries of the Church, there was not a formal canonization process. Saints were declared or acclaimed by the people after death. Later on, the Church formalized the canonization process in order to prevent such abuses as venerating someone about whom little or nothing is known.

The name Veronica is Hebrew for “true face” and refers to the story that after a woman used her veil to wipe away the blood on Christ’s face during his carrying of the cross, her veil was imprinted with Christ’s image.

By giving the woman a name that symbolizes the story, the early Christians may have been giving a clue that this was a well-known story but that the person who assisted Christ was unknown. It would be similar to a hospital referring to an unknown accident victim as “John Doe,” a well-known medical pseudonym. The person exists but the hospital assigned him a generic identity until his true identity could be ascertained. In the same way, it is possible that an unknown woman gave practical assistance to Jesus during his journey to Calvary. The first Christians may have known only what she did, not who she was, and so assigned her a name that reflected the story of her encounter with Christ.

So is it possible to honor St. Veronica even though we have no knowledge of her beyond the fact that early Christians believed that a certain woman of Jerusalem helped Jesus during the Via Dolorosa? Of course. Even today, anonymous heroes are honored for their deeds even though nothing particular about their lives can now be known. Consider, for example, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery (source).

For devotional materials on St. Veronica, you might contact Leaflet Missal, a Catholic religious goods company. I am unaware of a book on St. Veronica that I can recommend, but you might get your wife a copy of Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ, which includes a fine portrayal of Christ’s encounter with Veronica on the road to Calvary.

Recommended reading:

St. Veronica