Submitted
A Treasures of the Church relics tour will be on display in four churches in the Salina Diocese July 30 through Aug. 2. This tour, sponsored by Divine Mercy Radio, will include 150 relics.
Relics that are part of this display are St. Maria Goretti, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Faustina Kowalska. The supreme highlight is one of the largest relics of the Church’s claim to the True Cross in the world and a piece of the veil that, according to sanctioned tradition, is believed to have belonged to Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
Each night of the exhibit will begin at 7 p.m. with a multi-media presentation on the Catholic Church’s use of relics that is scriptural, catechetical and devotional. This presentation will take place in the church, followed by veneration of the relics in the parish hall.
The relics schedule is as follows:
July 30, Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, 731 Pierre, Manhattan.
July 31, St. Mary Queen of the Universe Church, 230 E. Cloud, Salina.
Aug. 1, St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 2901 E. 13th St., Hays.
Aug. 2, Sacred Heart Church, 585 N. French, Colby.
Relics are physical objects that have a direct association with the saints or Jesus. Scripture supports devotion to relics, especially in terms of healing. Here are a couple of examples:
“When the corpse of a man was touched to the bones of the prophet Elisha, the man came back to life and rose to his feet” (2 Kings 13:20-21).
“The signs and wonders worked by the Apostles were so great that people would line the streets with the sick so that when Peter walked by at least his shadow might ‘touch’ them” (Acts 5:12-15).
The Catholic church has three classes of relics. First class relics are the body or fragments of the body of a saint, such as pieces of bone or flesh. Second class relics are something that a saint personally owned, such as a shirt or book (or fragments of those items). Third class relics are those items that a saint touched or that have been touched to a first, second or another third-class relic of a saint.
The faithful are encouraged to bring rosaries, holy cards and other devotional items to be touched to the relics.
Treasures of the Church, run by Father Carlos Martins, is a ministry of evangelization leading to a renewal of the Catholic faith for many people.
There is no cost to attend the exhibit. However, a basket will be available for a freewill offering to help the Treasures of the Church ministry to continue.