Veneration Schedule
- Every Friday, from January 10 to April 18, 2025, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.
- From May 2025, on the first Friday of each month, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.
The veneration will be followed by Vespers at 5:30 PM.
The Holy Crown of Thorns and the Relics of the Passion
The Crown of Thorns, a piece of the True Cross, and a Nail of the Passion are currently preserved at Notre-Dame de Paris, in the reliquary shrine of the axial chapel.
According to the Gospels of Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, and Saint John, the Roman soldiers mocked Christ on the night from Holy Thursday to Good Friday by placing a crown of thorns on His head before crucifying Him.
These relics, rediscovered according to tradition by Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, were venerated in Jerusalem from the late 4th century and later transferred to Constantinople in the 10th century.
In 1238, King Louis IX (Saint Louis) acquired the Crown of Thorns from the Latin Emperor of the East. It arrived in Paris on August 19, 1239, and was processed to Notre-Dame. To preserve it, Saint Louis had the Sainte-Chapelle built.
Despite the melting of reliquaries during the French Revolution, the relics were preserved. They were entrusted by Napoleon I to the Archbishop of Paris and have been kept in the treasury since 1806.
