Stories & Legends

A Worker Woman’s Cure by the Holy Face

Fr. Fourault, Priest of the Holy Face

Ven. Leo Dupont, also known as "The Holy Man of Tours," was a French aristocrat and layman who was instrumental in spreading the devotion of the Holy Face of Jesus. Thousands of miracles were worked by God before the Holy Face image in his parlor after being he anointed the visitor with holy oil that burned in a lamp before the image.

This testimony comes from the Memoires of Ven. Dupont, and records a letter received from the widow of M. d’Avrainville that was addressed to him on April 25, 1884.

The letter of Madame d'Arainville
I believe it to be my duty to inform you of a miracle of which I was witness in the month of August 1860, during the week or ten days which my husband and I spent with the servant of God Leo Dupont.

The Holy Face in the parlor of Ven. Leo Dupont

A workwoman, whose name and address are given in the certificate which M. d’Avrainville drew up in her presence and which was added to the already numerous testimonies of graces received, came to offer thanks to the Holy Face for the cure of a dreadful internal complaint which caused a fetid odor to exhale from her body, an odor which obliged her friends and acquaintances to keep aloof from her.

One only of them remained faithful to her, and giving her a bottle containing oil from the lamp burning before the Holy Face, begged her to turn to the Face of Jesus, since her friends were turning their faces away from her. A novena was commenced, and at the end of nine days, she began to be much better; her pains diminished, and the dreadful smell disappeared.

She was so happy, that she promised the Holy Face to give thanks for her cure in its sanctuary, in the presence of M. Dupont, a thing she found herself unable to do until after the lapse of seven years, when she had saved enough money for the journey [to the house of Ven. Dupont on Rue Saint-Étienne in Tours].

Leo Dupont’s upstair drawing room

She was about to retire from his parlor, when M. Dupont, who had noticed that she had her arm in a sling, asked her what it was she was suffering from. She answered that it was a panaris, which caused her great pain and which deprived her of sleep, but that she could easily bear the suffering out of gratitude for the wonderful cure the Holy Face had granted to her seven years before, and that she did not dare to ask for a second cure.

“‘Madame, you have nothing to do with that,” replied M. Dupont, “if God wills to cure you, He is the Master.’ My husband, M. d’Avrainville, on hearing these words, left M. Dupont’s drawing-room, rapidly mounted the stairs and entered the room where I was, telling me to come down at once, for M. Dupont seemed to foresee a miracle.

Animated with this presentiment, we carefully examined the woman’s finger: it was very much swollen, and the last joint was full of matter.

After a short prayer offered by M. Dupont and a first anointing made upon the finger, we immediately perceived a change; after the second prayer and the second unction, the swelling had disappeared; lastly after the third prayer also offered before the Holy Face, M. Dupont, whilst making the third anointing, slightly pressed the finger between his fingers, at the place where the panaris was, and at the same moment, all had disappeared, pain, swelling and matter. The finger and the nail had become healthy and of a good color, the nail perfectly adhering to the flesh.

The oratory made after M. Dupont’s death; the crutches testify to the many complete cures

The woman, overcome with joy, said to me, “Madame, my finger is so entirely cured, that I beg you to permit me to give you several blows on the palm of your hand with it; I could even hurt you, if I tried.” She struck me in fact several times with this same finger which, five minutes before, had been so sad a sight to look at.

I was so touched and impressed by this miraculous change that I was seized with a trembling of the jaw which affected my speech, but which happily lasted only three minutes. I had felt and invisibly touched the power of God, manifested in the hands of his faithful servant M. Louis Dupont.

Prayer of Ven. Leo Dupont
Lord Jesus, in presenting myself before thy adorable Face to beg of Thee the graces we are in need of, we entreat of Thee, above all things, to give us an interior disposition never to refuse Thee anything which Thou may daily ask of us, by means of Thy holy commandments and Thy divine inspirations. Amen.

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From The Month of the Holy Face, by Fr. Fourault,
S. Rue Bernard-Palissy, 1891, pp. 288-292a,
Posted June 20, 2026

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