Should the Divine Child be celebrated on July 20?

One of the most popular—and most beautiful—devotions is that dedicated to the Divine Child Jesus, which contemplates Jesus Christ during the time in which he lived under the special protection of his adoptive father, Saint Joseph, and his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. , while he was progressing “in wisdom, in stature, and in favor before God and men” (see Luke 2:56).

Devotion to the Divine Child is supported by Christology, a theological treatise that deals with Jesus, the incarnate Word. In Christ, a unique and indivisible person, there are two natures: human and divine. And since he was “in every way like us, except in sin” (Heb 4:15), we know that he was a full child.

For this reason, the figure of Jesus Child evokes each little one and the greatness of every childhood: “I assure you,” says the Lord, “if you do not change and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt. 18.3).

The Divine Child

Devotion to the childhood of Christ was spread by great saints such as Saint Cajetan and Saint Anthony of Padua. The Divine Child appeared to the Portuguese saint, whom he tenderly welcomed into his arms. Precisely for this reason, Antonio is usually represented carrying Jesus on his lap.

For their part, Saint Teresa of Ávila and Saint John of the Cross spread this devotion among the Carmelites.

As a palpable fruit of this spiritual impulse are the numerous ways in which the Divine Child is present in the life of the people of God: the Infant Jesus of Prague in the Czech Republic, the Holy Child of Atocha in Mexico, the Divine Child of Arenzano in Italy, or the Miraculous Child Jesus of Bogotá in Colombia, among some of the best known.

The Child of Jesus of Bogotá, is it celebrated on July 20?

In the case of the devotion that was born in Colombia—and that has thousands of devotees in various countries—the participation of the Salesian priest Juan del Rizzo has been very important.

By 1935, Father Juan del Rizzo had taken on the dissemination of devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague, mainly in Bogotá, the country’s capital. Unfortunately, the Italian priest encountered some reluctance to his ministry from some devotees who alleged misuse of the locative “from Prague.”

While searching for a solution to the problem, Father Del Rizzo found in a religious art workshop an image of the Child Jesus, standing on a cloud, with his arms outstretched—evoking the position of the Crucified—and dressed in a pink tunic. The priest acquired the sculpture and took it to the fields of the Salesian youth work in the “Veinte de Julio” neighborhood of Bogotá, where years later the Divine Child Jesus Sanctuary would be built.

Thus, the faithful began to approach and venerate the image with the name of “the Divine Child Jesus.” Since then, many have been converted thanks to this devotion, and there are also thousands who are grateful for favors, graces and miracles granted.

The first Sunday in September

According to the Liturgical Calendar of the Catholic Church, the feast of the Divine Child must be celebrated on the first Sunday of the month of September, at the conclusion of the traditional novena that the faithful pray on the first Sundays of each month, from January to September.

However, popular custom has established a curious connection between July 20, the date on which Colombia celebrates the “Cry of Independence,” and the devotion to the Divine Child, whose votive center has traditionally been his sanctuary in the neighborhood. “Ventiente de Julio” from Bogotá.

While it is true that many—particularly Colombians—remember their Patron Saint on that civic date, the day officially consecrated to the devotion of the Divine Child is the first Sunday in September.

This story was originally published on July 20, 2023. It has been updated for republication.