Relic of St. Peter

This morning at Mater Ecclesiae in Berlin, NJ, where I have been for the last week, I had the chance to bless people with a reliquary containing relics of Sts Peter and Paul (among others).  You can see it set up on the Gospel side of the altar.

There are Agnus Dei included.

St. Peter.

You can see the care that was given to these reliquaries once upon a time.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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4 Comments

  1. Tom in NY says:

    The Reverend enjoys a high privilege to hold these relics — and the faithful to enjoy His blessing through this history.
    Relics were a powerful tool in medieval times, and more recently. The Wall Street recounted this episode from Vatican II. One of Bishop Woytyla’s projects was the Ark Church in Nowa Huta. During the Council, the bishop arranged an audience with Paul VI for himself and the pastor-elect. During the audience, the Holy Father gave the pastor a box with a masonry relic. “My son, this is from the tomb of St. Peter. Take it with you to Poland for your new church.”
    Salutationes omnibus.

  2. I have a relic of St. Peter along with Sts. Paul, Batholemew, Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, Ambrose and a few others. There are at least eleven saints on it (It’s not unlike the one pictured but in very poor condition) with some of the labels missing. It looks as if it has been reduced from a larger reliquary. I found it on a shelf in the tiny sacristy of one of our communities which is now closed. It’s been with me since. I hope to get a decent reliquary made to hold it but they’re expensive. I looked for the right kind when in Rome they were all outside my pocket. Unfortunately I don’t have the document to prove their authenticity and so I don’t think it can be used for public veneration. I also have a first class relic of St. Leopold Mandic. I don’t think I appreciate them enough!

  3. MikieC says:

    Thats really nice. Looks like an old reliquary. I have some relics myself. They had a large display of relics at St. Peter’s at 5tth and Gerard in Philadelphia. When they renovated the shrine downstairs they got rid of the relics. I don’t know what they did with them. Its a shame. All in the “Spirit of Vatican II”.

  4. dcs says:

    When they renovated the shrine downstairs they got rid of the relics. I don’t know what they did with them. Its a shame. All in the “Spirit of Vatican II”.

    If the Shrine renovations, which restored the high altar and got the mosaic of St. John Neumann out of the way, are part of the Spirit of Vatican II, then many churches need more of that same spirit.

    I don’t know what they did with the relics either, but I am sure they did not throw them away.

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