Ancient relic exposition brings the faithful closer to the saints during Lent
During Lent, Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) Oratory in Montclair will offer a special gift to the faithful. It will host a veneration and exposition of over 100 relics of saints, the Holy Cross, and the Holy Family on Feb. 24 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The event will be hosted by Joseph Santoro, who is the Order of the International Crusade for Holy Relics’ regional delegate to the U.S. The order is an international group of independent relic apostolates, advocates, and saint devotees. The knights, who are highly educated in relic authenticity, have vowed to rescue and protect holy relics from profanation and neglect.
Santoro said the collection on display will be grouped into three categories: the Passion and the Holy Family, the Nativity of Our Lord, and Saints and Blesseds. Father Giandomenico M. Flora, rector at OLMC Oratory, said the church is blessed to hold an exposition of such magnitude.
“It is a unique moment,” Father Flora said. “Some of the relics are from the Holy Family and date back to Biblical times.”
The Passion and Holy Family section will contain a splinter of the true cross, a splinter of the crown of thorns, and a replica of one of the nails with a particle of the real nail inside. The nativity section will expose a piece of the crib and the swaddling cloth, a piece of the Tomb of the Holy Innocents, pieces of the veil of the Virgin Mary and the cloak of Saint Joseph, and bones of three Magi. Saints and Blesseds include the skin and blood of Padre Pio, the hair of Saint Pope John Paul II, a piece of the linen that Blessed Carlo passed away on, and the hair scarf of Mother Cabrini. There will also be relics of the apostles and evangelists.
“Take a tour first to read about the relics, then go back and pray in front of relics you feel drawn to,” Santoro said.
The faithful will be allowed to touch items to the reliquary itself. Items such as handkerchiefs and roseries will be available at the church for purchase for a nominal fee. Visitors are welcome to bring their own items, as well.
“[The exposition] will give opportunities for you to connect with many of your most revered saints,” Father Flora said.
Santoro, who has helped with several OLMC feast day celebrations over the years, received his first relic over 20 years ago and now takes care of 400 relics. He rescued many off eBay and auction sites, but most have been given to him by friends, priests, the Vatican, or shrines from around the world.
“My great-grandfather started my collection when I was young,” Santoro said. “He gave me mini statues of the saints. My first relic was of Saint John Neumann, a piece of his bone, from the shrine in Philadelphia, over 20 years ago.”
Wanting to help save relics from misuse, Santoro went from collecting statues to rescuing relics. He then began studying relics, and most importantly their certification, and buying them off online auctions. He also joined the ICHR, which further aided in his studies and knowledge.
Santoro wanted to host the exposition so Catholics throughout the nation could experience the relics’ benefits.
“There have been many documented miracles and healings connected to relics,” Santoro said.
Roman Emperor Constantine’s mother, Saint Helena, a convert to Christianity, is credited for being the first archeologist and discovering the first relics of Christ’s Passion. In 326 A.D., she went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to locate and preserve the relics of the Christian faith. She is believed to have restored Holy Land sites and discovered the cross on which Christ died, among other relics from his Passion. She brought the relics to Rome where they can be venerated to this day.
Today, relics are divided into three classifications. A first-class relic is a body part of a saint, such as bone, blood, or flesh. Second-class relics are possessions that a saint owned, such as clothing, bed sheets, or handkerchiefs. Third-class relics are objects that have been touched to a first- or second-class relic or that the saint has touched. The exposition allows the faithful to create third-class relics by touching objects such as rosaries, prayer cards, and photographs to the relics on display.
Being able to see and venerate the relics is special, Father Flora said, because lay people should not own sacred relics. The Church wants them to be kept in churches or shrines, Santoro said.
Furthermore, the Code of Canon Law prohibits the sale of relics. Some relics may be given away by their owners, but holy relics may not be given away without the permission of the Apostolic See, according to the Code of Canon Law.
“The most faked relics are those of Padre Pia, Blessed Carlos Acutis, and Saint Pope John Paul II,” Santoro said.
The International Crusade for Holy Relics was established to provide relic devotees with information and support in the apostolate of promoting the proper veneration of the remains of the saints.
Featured image: Joseph Santoro with his relic of the scab of Padre Pia’s stigmata. (Courtesy Joseph Santoro)
