relics

During the National Catholic Youth Conference, visitors were invited to pray with first-degree relics in a newly added relic chapel.

As her relics start to tour the U.S. and more than 125 years after her death in a cloistered convent in Normandy, St. Thérèse of Lisieux continues to inspire the church.

The Catholic customs of praying for the souls of the dead, praying to the saints who have gone before us in earthly life, and of venerating relics are based primarily in the church’s long-standing tradition and theology rather than explicit scriptural “prooftexts.” However, the Bible does indeed allude to these practices.

Nearly 3,500 of the faithful came from as far as Maine and Maryland and waited over two hours to view 200 relics of Jesus, the Holy Family, and various saints, martyrs and blesseds exhibited at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Oratory in Montclair Feb. 24.

A Catholic church in Ukraine named for St. Nicholas marked its patron’s feast day by enshrining relics from St. John Paul II, who witnessed the power of faith over authoritarianism.

Several sites in the United States are home to vast collections of relics, and one shrine in Ohio, is home to over 1,100 relics in 970 reliquaries representing 900 saints.

The first of three Eucharist-themed Regional Ministry Gatherings kicked off Oct. 5 at Our Lady of Victory Church in Fergus Falls with Crookston Bishop Andrew Cozzens giving the keynote presentation.

In the spotlight: Papal meeting with Buddhists, Corpus Christi, St. Bernadette relics