Those raised in the Catholic tradition may be familiar with the centuries-old practice of keeping and preserving the bodies or possessions of saints, commonly known as relics. Some may have heard of famous relics such as the Shroud of Turin or the True Cross, or might have even seen full-body skeletons adorned in regal garb on a trip to a cathedral. Rooted in Catholic theology and history, this practice has been commonplace since the early days of the Church. The SCN Archival Center houses a small collection of these sacred relics, but before taking a look at this collection, it is important to understand what relics are and why they became a part of the Catholic tradition.
What are relics?
The origin of the term relic comes from the Latin reliquiae, meaning “remains.” Relics are identified by three classes:
- First-class relics are physical remains of a saint’s body, often blood, bone, or hair.
- Second-class relics are objects that came into direct contact with the saint during their lifetime, such as clothing, letters, or other personal possessions.
- Third-class relics are items that have touched a first- or second-class relic.[1]
Relics are often typically housed in small cases known as “reliquaries.” However, depending on the size of the relic, these can range from small locket-style cases to full-sized caskets for larger skeletal relics. Between the 9th and 14th centuries, relics were a part of the spiritual zeitgeist in Europe.[2] This time period saw an increase in the veneration and collection of relics and reliquaries, with the hope for healing, inspiration, or miracles.
Some may ask, why keep the blood and bone of saints? Some of the Biblical basis for relics comes from Second Kings in which it was written that a man was resurrected after coming in contact with the bones of Elisha. Another Biblical reference comes from the Acts of the Apostles, in which those living with disease were cured after encounters with the cloth of St. Paul. Father William Saunders explains this Biblical basis in “Why Do We Venerate Relics” and emphasizes that relics themselves do not inherently possess magical qualities:
“…not that some magical power existed in them, but just as God’s work was done through the lives of these holy men, so did His work continue after their deaths. Likewise, just as people were drawn closer to God through the lives of these holy men, so did they (even if through their remains) inspire others to draw closer even after their deaths.”[3]
Authenticity & Purpose
We have established what relics are, but how do we know that a relic is legitimate? According to the Vatican’s Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines, the Church requires that relics are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, which must have the proper signature and seal of Church authority. Additionally, the relics must be in line with Church teaching surrounding respect for the human body, ensuring the relics are of a size to make it clear they are parts of the human body.[4]
When handled in accordance with these regulations, relics may be used for prayerful intercession, brought to the sick and dying, venerated in churches, or used in liturgical processions. In fact, relics have also historically been placed in or beneath the altars of Catholic churches. During the Second Council of Nicaea in 787, it was decreed that all Catholic churches were to place relics within their altars; the Council of Trent in 1563 reaffirmed this practice.[5] Today, however, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal no longer requires relics to be embedded in altars. Instead, it states that if relics are to be venerated, they should be placed beneath the altar.[6]
Collection Highlights
With a greater understanding of the history and importance of relics, let us explore the SCN Archival Center Relics Collection. Currently the collection is comprised of around 50 relics, many of which are accompanied with corresponding certificates of authenticity. The majority of the relics in this collection are first-class, identified in their documentation as ossibus (bone) or sanguinis (blood). Although we are fortunate to have many of these certificates of authenticity, the provenance, or the documented history of ownership, remains unknown for most. In the archival profession, the provenance is a foundational principle that helps archivists trace the history of an item, such as how it was acquired or preserved. Though some of these relics were possessions of SCNs, much of the collections’ origins remain unknown.
Featured Relics
Relics 001-004: Left to right, top to bottom: St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, Pope Pius X, St. Gemma Galgani, St. Paul of the Cross. These relics originally belonged to Sister Antonia Scheibert, who was in community from 1940 until her death in 2006.
Relics 015-029: Sister Eugenia Muething’s relic collection. Sister Eugenia began collecting relics and after her death, they were donated to the Archival Center.
Relic 057: St. Vincent de Paul, St. Louise de Marillac, St. Catherine Laboure, Blessed Presboyr, Blessed E Clet, Blessed Rogue
Relic 058: This relic hosts a collection of saints including St. Clare, St. Alphonsus di Ligouri, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Joseph of the Cross, St. Veronica Juliani, St. Pacifica of S Severino, and St. Francis of Rome. The second featured image showcases the back side of the piece attached to the relics with an unidentified red seal.
Relic 060: Saints Ann and Joachim, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is likely the oldest relic in the collection, with its certificate of authenticity dating back to the eighteenth century. Pictured above is the certificate of authenticity, front and back, dated for 1733.
References
[1] Pekarek, Nancy. “Faithful Gifts: The Church and relics of the saints.” NC Catholics: The Magazine of the Catholic Church in Eastern North Carolina, December 15, 2022. https://dioceseofraleigh.org/news/faithful-gifts-church-and-relics-saints
[2] Senz, Paul. “A Piece of History, a Guide to Eternity: How Altar Relics Live within the Liturgy.” Adoremus, May 2023. https://adoremus.org/2023/05/a-piece-of-history-a-guide-to-eternity-how-altar-relics-live-within-the-liturgy/
[3] Saunders, Father William. “Why Do We Venerate Relics?” The Arlington Catholic Herald, July 13, 1995. https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/why-do-we-venerate-relics-1137
[4] “Veneration of the Saints and the Beatified.” Directory on popular piety and the liturgy: principles and guidelines, December 2001. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html#Chapter%20Six
[5] Smith, Father Michael. “Precious relics.” Australian Jesuits, accessed April 14, 2025. https://jesuit.org.au/precious-relics/#:~:text=The%20Second%20Council%20of%20Nicaea,This%20tradition%20continues%20today.
[6] Senz, Paul. “A Piece of History, a Guide to Eternity: How Altar Relics Live within the Liturgy.” Adoremus, May 2023. https://adoremus.org/2023/05/a-piece-of-history-a-guide-to-eternity-how-altar-relics-live-within-the-liturgy/
Contact for Blog Posts
We want to hear from you! Your thoughts, feedback, and suggestions for future topics are incredibly valuable to us. Feel free to leave a comment, or get in touch with Veronica Priest, Archivist, at vpriest@nazareth.org or (502) 331-4517.