Frequently Asked Questions

What’s with Relics?

The coming of the relics of St. Thérèse and Saints Louis and Zélie Martin to the Archdiocese in October is an opportunity to reflect on the meaning and spiritual benefits of venerating relics in the tradition of the Catholic Church.

The word relics is derived from the Latin reliquiae, which means “remains.” Relics are physical objects held in reverence due to their association with the saints or with our Lord.

Relics are classified as first, second, or third class. A first class relic is part of a saint’s body (e.g., bone, blood, flesh). Second class relics are possessions that a saint owned such as clothing or something used by a saint. Third class relics are objects that have been touched to a first, second, or another third class relic of a saint.

The veneration of relics has its roots in Sacred Scripture. For example, in 2 Kings 13:20-21, when the corpse of a man was touched to the bones of the prophet Elisha, the man came back to life. God’s power worked through the bones of Elisha to raise a man from the dead.

In the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew relates that a woman was healed of her hemorrhage simply by touching the hem of Jesus’ cloak (Mt. 9:20-22). In the Acts of the Apostles, the signs and wonders worked by the Apostles were so great that people lined the streets with the sick so that when Peter walked by at least his shadow might “touch them” (Acts 5:12-15). Additionally, the Acts of the Apostles relates that when handkerchiefs or aprons that had been touched to Paul were applied to the sick, people were healed and evil spirits were driven out of them (Acts 19:11-12). In each case, God worked through something earthy – a hem of a cloak, a shadow, handkerchiefs, aprons - to bring about healing.

As always, God is the cause of healing; relics are a means through which he acts. In other words, relics are not magic. They do not contain a power that is their own; a power separate from God. Any good that comes about through a relic is God’s doing. But the fact that God chooses to use the relics of saints to work healing and miracles teaches us that he wants to draw our attention to the saints as “models and intercessors.”

St. Jerome summarizes our Catholic belief about relics well when he said:

"We do not worship relics, we do not adore them, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the creator. But we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore him whose martyrs they are." (Ad Riparium, i, P.L., XXII, 907).

St. Jerome reminds us that we do not worship or adore relics as God alone is worthy of worship and adoration. However, by venerating or honoring the saints whom God has worked through in an extraordinary way, we adore and glorify God who worked so beautifully in their lives.

Finally, our veneration of relics reminds us that we are part of the Communion of Saints, the great cloud of witnesses who have run the race before us (Heb. 12:1). The saints suffered, yet remained faithful and loved our Lord Jesus heroically. You can too! In short, our veneration of relics inspires us to hope in the eternal glory the saints now enjoy in heaven, where God-willing, we hope by God’s grace to enjoy one day as well!

~All saints in heaven, pray for us!

Learn more here!
Yes! We just ask that any photos are for personal use only and that the picture is taken in a way that respects the relics and those venerating them.
Venerators will be allowed to touch the reliquaries. Consider bringing an item to touch to the reliquary, making that item a third class relic!