Brief
St. Bernadette’s relics begin 140‑stop US tour, starting in Washington
The Journey of Grace tour will display a 132‑pound, 24‑karat gold reliquary at venues from Washington to New York through October.
By Felo News Desk · Published
St. Bernadette Soubirous’s relics have embarked on a 140‑stop nationwide tour called the Journey of Grace, beginning in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18 and moving to sites in New York this weekend, the New York Post reported.
What happened
The tour features a 132‑pound, 24‑karat gold‑plated reliquary containing fragments of the saint’s fifth and sixth ribs, kneecaps, strands of hair, muscle from her right femur and pieces of skin. After Washington, the reliquary will be displayed at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in West Harlem on Oct. 17, then at The Shrine Church of St. Bernadette in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn on Oct. 19, and at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Oct. 20. The itinerary includes basilicas, shrines, cathedrals, parishes, hospitals and universities across the United States.
What the reports add
The Post notes that the relics were first exhumed 30 years after Bernadette’s 1879 death, when her body was found incorrupt. Subsequent examinations in 1909 and 1919 supported her canonisation, and in 1925 pieces of her remains were removed for preservation as relics. The article also cites that the first U.S. tour of the reliquary occurred in 2002, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors.
What was said
Rev. Patrick Flanagan, chair of St. John’s University’s theology department, told the Post that Roman Catholics “believe in the sanctity of human life and concurrently value the body… It is essentially the saints’ presence among us once again.” He added that Catholics “venerate” saints rather than worship them, describing the relics as “comforting and encouraging.”
How it came about
Bernadette’s visions of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes in 1858 made her the patron saint of the ill. The Catholic Church has recognized 72 miracles linked to her intercession, and Lourdes has become the world’s most visited pilgrimage site. The reliquary’s current tour continues a tradition of displaying saintly relics to inspire devotion and prayer among the faithful.
Key facts
- The Journey of Grace tour features a 132‑pound, 24‑karat gold‑plated reliquary with fragments of St. Bernadette’s body. (nypost.com)
- The tour began in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18 and will be in West Harlem on Oct. 17, Brooklyn on Oct. 19, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Oct. 20. (nypost.com)
- Rev. Patrick Flanagan explained that Catholics venerate saints and view relics as a comforting presence of heaven on earth. (nypost.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Exclusive | St. Bernadette’s ribs and kneecaps touring US in curious, centuries-old Catholic tradition”
