The first relic I saw was no bigger than a fingernail clipping. Just a tiny shard of bone mounted on a golden sunburst affixed to red fabric. A tiny paper scroll with “ex oss. S. Angelae Merici V” typed rested below, the contents behind glass in a round golden container molded with angelic cherubs.
A few days before our new worship space would be dedicated, the congregation gathered to meditate about the life of the saint and pray with the physical remains of our parish saint before it would be placed in the base of the new altar.
At the time I was unfamiliar with relics, so I looked it up. The word comes from the Latin “reliquiae” meaning remains, as in the remains of a person’s life. Once I learned what is a relic, they began showing up on my travels.
St. Lucy’s upper left arm
St. Lucy’s Dress
To identify the type of relic, the church assigns a classification. A first class relic refers to an actual part of a saint’s body or (in the case of Jesus) something related to his Passion.
A second class relic signifies an item personally used by the saint. A dress, gloves, cane, chair – not unlike keeping family heirlooms that belonged to a deceased loved one, such as my husband’s grandfather’s telegraph machine displayed in our home.
A third class relic is any item touched to a first or second class relic. Where the first two classes can and must be authenticated by the church, the genuineness of this last class can be disputable.
“..we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order to better adore Him whose martyrs they are.”
– St. Jerome
These items serve as a tangible reminder, a connection, to people we love. Spending time with a relic offers us an opportunity to spend time in prayer with a friend, thanking God for their life and the example they are to us. Honoring a Saint’s relics reminds us that we are part of the Communion of Saints, those holy men and women who preceded us in living for God.
Where do Relics Come From?
Relics are documented to the Old and New Testament, showing them as a source for miraculous healing and an inspiration of faith.
During the Exodus, Moses carried the bones of Joseph out of Egypt. In the second book of Kings, the bones of Elisha restored a dead man to life. St. Luke writes in The Acts of the Apostles that, “So extraordinary were the mighty deeds God accomplished at the hands of Paul that when face cloths or aprons that touched his skin were applied to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.”
Countless early Christians were persecuted and suffered violent deaths before 313 AD when Constantine declared religious toleration for Christianity across the Roman Empire. The remains of these martyrs were buried; their graves visited secretly. After Constantine, monuments were built over their graves, eventually becoming sanctuaries, evolving over time into great churches. As other churches were built away from the tombs, it became custom to transfer a piece of the saint’s body to the new church, encased or enshrined within the altar. This practice of including a relic in the base of an altar continues today.
Which led me to discover relics. Deo Gratias
In our podcast, Of Sound Mind and Spirit Episode 60: Relics & Reverence: Saints, Faith, and Sacred Connections, we reflect on the importance of prayer and intercession with saints.
PS: You won’t want to miss my emotional encounter with St. Jude in Rome.
Where can I see Relics?
- Holy Crib at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major
- St. Jude at Santuario di San Salvatore in Lauro
- National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe
- Treasures of the Church National Relics Tour
- 4 Shrines for Saints’ Relics in the US (National Catholic Register)
