Infant Jesus of Prague: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Wartime invasion disrupted the shrine when Swedish soldiers sacked the Carmelite friary. The statue was tossed behind an altar into discarded rubbish, losing its hands during the plunder. A friar named Cyrillus later recovered the broken sculpture from the debris, repaired the damage, and revived regular prayer. Devotees subsequently attributed miraculous healings and divine protection to the restored image.

Veneration expanded far beyond Bohemia as replicas spread to domestic shrines in Poland and across Catholic communities in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia, and the Caribbean. Friars eventually relocated the statue to the epistle side of the Church of Our Lady of Victorious. The Malá Strana sanctuary remains a focal point for international pilgrims, sustaining steady petition devotions and visitors throughout the year.