CLEVELAND, Georgia (LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic Church northeast of Atlanta, Georgia, has unveiled a permanent display of 33 rare, first-class saints’ relics, as well as two relics of the True Cross.
Bodily relics of some of the most illustrious saints are now at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Cleveland, including St. Anne, St. Andrew the Apostle, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Catherine of Alexandria, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
First-class relics consist of a part of the body of a saint, such as bone, hair, or blood. A second-class relic included in the church’s new reliquarium is the cincture of St. Francis of Assisi, the cord worn around his waist.
The missal stand, chalice, and wooden headboard that once belonged to Pope Innocent X are also on display, since the family of the donor descends from Camillo Panfili, the brother of Pope Innocent X, according to the docent of the display, who wishes to remain anonymous.
One of the most ancient artifacts in the reliquarium is a 2nd‑century altar stone, roughly carved with a rendition of the Last Supper.
The pastor of St. Paul’s, Father Fabio Alvarez Posada, has stressed that the reliquarium is not meant to be treated like a museum, but as an opportunity for grace.
“The idea we have with the chapel of Pope Innocent X is not to see the space of the relics as an exhibition site or museum… The ideal is that we enjoy the grace of God and His gifts,” wrote Fr. Posada, according to local outlet Now Habersham.
Like all the Church’s sacramentals, relics can be instrumental in bringing us grace in part by inspiring devotion, as well as through the prayers the Church offers for those who use sacramentals.
In contradiction to the doubts cast by skeptics, the authenticity of relics venerated by Catholics is often vindicated by science. For example, the Holy Chalice of Valencia, which, according to tradition, was used at the Last Supper, was found to be created using techniques unique to the time of Our Lord’s life and earlier. The Holy Thorn of Andria, said to be from the Crown of Thorns and to bleed when Good Friday falls on March 25, did so again under scientific observation in 2016.
The reliquarium at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church is open from Tuesday to Friday, from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. and during Mass times.
