ASHTON/SUN PRAIRIE — St. Peter Parish in Ashton and Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish in Sun Prairie will host an exhibition of sacred relics with Fr. Carlos Martins of the Companions of the Cross.
St. Peter Parish, 7121 County Hwy. K, will host an evening of exposition and presentation on hundreds of sacred relics on Monday, June 24. The evening will begin at 7 p.m. with catechesis on holy relics by Father Martins in the church building and will continue with the relics exhibition in the school building.
As part of the year-long celebration of the parish’s 150th anniversary, Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish, 221 Columbus St., Sun Prairie, will present a teaching and exposition of sacred relics on Tuesday, June 25, at 7 p.m. Father Martins will teach about these holy objects.
More than 150 relics
To both parishes, Father Martins will bring with him over 150 relics, some as old as 2000 years of age.
Among the treasures will be relics of St. Maria Goretti, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Faustina Kowalska.
Those in attendance will be able to examine and venerate each relic. People are encouraged to bring their articles of devotion (such as rosaries and holy cards) and pictures of ill friends/family members which can touch the reliquaries as a means of intercession.
In addition, there will be a portion of the veil of Our Lady and one of the largest remaining pieces of the True Cross in the world.
Kinds of relics
Those in attendance will be able to examine and venerate each relic. Many miracles and healings have been worked in the presence of relics, and many have been healed through this ministry.
Relics are physical objects that have a direct association with the saints or with Our Lord. They are usually broken down into three classes:
- “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 existing relic of a saint.
Scripture teaching
Scripture teaches that God acts through relics, especially in terms of healing. In fact, when surveying what Scripture has to say about sacred relics, one is left with the idea that healing is what relics “do.” Here are some examples:
- A woman was healed of her hemorrhage simply by touching the hem of Jesus’ cloak (Matthew 9:20-22).
- 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).
- When handkerchiefs or aprons that had been touched to Paul were applied to the sick, the people were healed and evil spirits were driven out of them (Acts 19:11-12).
In each of these instances God has brought about a healing using a material object. The vehicle for the healing was the touching of that object. It is very important to note, however, that the cause of the healing is God; the 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 tells us that He wants to draw our attention to the saints as “models and intercessors” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 828).