Roving Medievalist links here to a BBC news story about the exhumation of Padre Pio’s body. There is a link through to a BBC video about it as well.
Digging up saints’ bodies. It all so Catholic. It’s easy to make fun of such things if you’re not Catholic, but it’s a reminder that we take the physical aspect of life seriously. We’re interested in the saints’ bodies. We’re interested in relics. If the saints’ sanctification was real, then it affected his or her body, not just their soul or spirit. As a result, what remains are also holy. They are part of the physical world transformed by the power of God.
I remember once seeing the arm bone of St Therese of Lisieux and being quite moved by the physical reality and closeness. It reminds you that this was a real person–not just a character out of books or out of someone’s imagination.
We’re blessing our new Blessed Sacrament Chapel at school in a week or so, along with two altars. I’d love to have some relics for the chapel. Any ideas the best place to secure some relics?
Fr. Chris has some relics from when he was studying in Rome.
There’s always Ebay (this is allowed in so far as you are rescuing the relics from the market).The best person to contact in regards to relics is Fr. John Horgan in Vancouver, BC at Sts Peter and Paul Parish. Very awesome and holy priest and his knowledge is the Saints and knows quite a deal about relics (he has many himself). He would definitely be able to point you in the proper direction.-Harrison
Wow. Can’t wait to tell my son. This is his confirmation saint and we love this guy.
Any way we can get someone’s head?
There is also that story wherein the relatives of the martyr Blessed Miguel Pro wiped his blood off the ground after being shot– instant first class relics!
Know any potential saints about to be martyred? I’ve always liked getting things direct.
Check with your bishop. No telling what might be sitting about. There’s a piece of St. Francis’ habit in one of the parishes in my neighborhood, and one of St. Pius X’s zucchettos in another, nearby.
Weren’t we all, deep down, hoping for an incorruptible?
Well, the hands that bore the stigmata seem to have been incorruptible. But, we must keep in mind that there were many great saints that were not incorruptible.
Hi Father, don’t buy any relics from eBay, they aren’t necessarily real ones, regardless of the hype.Hopefully your bishop can tell you who in Rome you will need to contact — but the catch is that the Bishop has to write a letter and someone must hand carry the relic back personally — but don’t we have seminarians going and coming back from Rome on at least an irregular basis? You might want to look into that so you could choose a saint and that special relic for the altar.Unless…someone you can trust has an authentic relic with proper papers willing to give it up. If you want a first class relic of a Blessed, you can obtain a relic at the Fr. Francix Xavier Seelos shrine in Louisiana, but I don’t know if Blesseds are approved for altars.By the way can I please ask for your prayers for myself and co-worker and our families. We could really use some.Thanks, AT
padre pio exhumed for display! Astounding! No depravity – from pedophilia to necrophilia – too low for the Catholic heirarchy.
And yet the Catholic church disapproved so much of me digging up my Nan. Blatant double standards.