The Communion of Saints

Saintly devotion is so central to Catholicism that it’s embedded, word for word, in the Apostle’s Creed – which sums up the core beliefs of all the faithful. The Communion of Saints includes all the members of the Church, whether they are living on Earth, in purgatory, or in heaven.

Catholics believe that canonized saints, who are individuals recognized by the Church for their exceptional holiness, continue to be a part of this communion even after death. When Catholics pray to saints, they are reaching out to these holy individuals, seeking their intercession and guidance in their relationship with God. (Source: The Epistle, Winter 2023)

We understand that relics are meant to be honored and venerated, not worshipped. Worship is reserved exclusively for God.

The use of relics has a basis in sacred Scripture in both the Old Testament (see 2 Kings 2:9-14 & 13:20-21) and the New. In the Acts of the Apostles we read, “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them” (Acts 19: 11-12). The veneration of relics of the saints and the development of “feast days” is found in the early Church. And these practices of piety are recognized as extensions of the liturgical life of the Church (CCC 1674 & 1675). Relics include the physical remains of a saint (or of a person who is considered holy but not yet canonized) as well as other objects which have been “sanctified” by being touched to the saint’s body.

We invite you to participate in veneration of these holy men and women, so that by reflecting on their lives and emulating their fidelity and witness you too can make Jesus Christ known and loved—just as they did.

For more information about relics:

• Why Do Catholics Keep Relics?

• Authenticity of Relics?

• What are Relics?

• Augustine and the Power of Relics

• Is Veneration of Relics Condemned by the Bible?

Our Lady of Grace has the following First Class Relics permanently installed in the church:

St Peter - feast day June 29
St Paul - feast day June 29
St John - feast day December 27
St Thomas - feast day July 3
St Stephen - feast day December 26
St Bonaventure - feast day July 15
St Ambrose - feast day December 7
St Charles Borromeo - feast day November 4
St Alexander Sauli - feast day October 11
St. John Vianney - feast day August 4
St. Benedict - feast day July 11
St. Therese - feast day October 1
St. Pius X - feast day August 21
St. Anthony Padua - feast day June 13
St. Gratien of Tours - feast day December 18
St. Alphonsus Ligouri - feast day August 1
St. Roch Montpellier- feast day August 16
St. Didacus of Alcalá - feast day November 13
St. André-Hubert Fournet - feast day May 13
St. Joseph Benedict Collotengo - feast day April 30
St. Joseph Cafasso - feast day June 23
St. Aloysius Gonzaga - feast day June 21
St. Anthony Mary Claret - feast day October 24

To learn more about each of these Saints and their lives at https://www.catholic.org/

*Special thank you to Ted Wyrowski’s carpentry skills and for creating the reliquaries to house these sacred heirlooms.