Relics you will discover in your readings
According to the writings of Mary of Ágreda, Mary crafted a seamless tunic for the infant Jesus when He was one year old. Remarkably, this tunic is said to have grown with Him until it was removed at His crucifixion. Mary of Ágreda’s works were composed around 1650. Later, in 1938, Saint Faustina, at Jesus’ request, created a full-body depiction of Him.
Examine His tunic, and you will see that it corresponds to the authentic relic displayed below. This same seamless tunic is currently preserved in the Cathedral of Trier, Germany. Thus, the accounts from 1650 align with the 1938 painting and the 2018 relic, demonstrating remarkable continuity across centuries.
[Mary speaks] Bear witness to the fact that the same Jesus Christ, my Son, had one personal possession and that he alone possessed it. This was that tunic that I made with my own hands... I dressed him in that tunic for the use of his most holy body... my eyes then filled at once with tears... this tunic was that garment over which his crucifiers cast lots. [S.Bridget,1360]
At Loreto, Italy, Mary's Annunciation home (previously in Nazareth) showed up one day without any foundation; just four brick walls and a roof, with no foundation (Basilica Della Santa Casa). A miracle as well,
Book: The House of the Virgin Mary by Godfrey E Phillips
Rome's churches have many relics, Jesus' manger is in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. You will feel a peaceful energy as soon as you go down the stairs,
Several remarkable relics—parts of Jesus’ Holy Cross, a nail, two thorns, Saint Thomas the Apostle’s finger, and the titulus (the inscription of the Cross)—are all preserved in one location: the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, Rome. In 1890, Saint Therese of Lisieux touched that same nail during her pilgrimage to Rome. We skipped the three-hour lineup at the Vatican and went straight to these precious relics, only to find ourselves in front of them, alone. Jesus' physical legacy to the world is metal and tree pieces. A true masterpiece of devotion and love,
Book: Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of Saint Therese of Lisieux by Therese, de Lisieux, Saint
Parts of the Last Supper table are at the Archbasilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, in Rome,
All close together at walking distance in Rome:
However, if you are in Italy, there are a few resting places of famous saints; to name a few:
- Assisi, Saint Francis of Assisi (1-hour train from Rome); Loreto, House of Mary (1-hour drive from Assisi).
- Saint Anthony of Padua, Padua (25 minutes away from Venice).
- Catherine of Siena, Siena (1.5 hours from Assisi, take the train to Perugia, then the 1-hour bus to Siena).
- Saint Gemma at Lucca, a ½ hour from Pisa.
- Padre Pio at the Church of Our Lady of Grace, San Giovanni, Rotondo (3 hours south-east of Rome).
[Jesus speaks] My heart's supreme delight is to bestow - according to their will, their faith, and the toils of their journey - everlasting rewards on all those who visit the places and honor the relics of my saints, namely, of those who had been glorified by miracles and canonized by the supreme pontiffs. Thus my heart is with my treasure.[S. Bridget, 1360]
Spain has lots of Catholic churches in Salamanca, but it is in Zaragoza, Spain, where Mary's pillar statue created by angels sits, creating the first church in honor of Mary; wishes are conceded here, as explained by Mary of Agreda. This statue will last to the end of times,
In Spain, we also have Santiago de Compostela (the location of the remains of the apostle Saint James the Great). In France, Lourdes, in Portugal, Fatima, in Ireland, Knock, all holy places as well, ready to visit. I will describe Israel in more detail below.
Why is the apostle St. James the Great so honored by pilgrimages to his relics? Jesus said to St. Gertrude in 1290:
I took him away from the world so soon...that he was unable to convert many persons, which he most ardently desired to do... and what he was unable to do during his life I permit him to accomplish after his death, by bringing an immense number of pilgrims to his shrine, absolving them from their sins, and strenghtening them in the Catholic faith.
Another apostle of Jesus Christ, Saint Thomas, brought Christianity to India in 52 AD, where he was killed as a martyr. His relics traveled to quite a few places after his death, until most of them found their final resting place in the Basilica di San Tommaso in Ortona, Italy.
Anyone who loves me and my friends above all, and who would rather die than offend me in the least... will exalt and honor my treasure, namely, the relics of this my apostle whom I chose and forechose...the relics of Saint Thomas, my apostle, are in Ortona [Jesus said to St. Bridget, 1360].
In Guadalupe, Mexico, we have the Virgin Mary's painted tilma from 1531, given by Mary to Juan Diego. Its physical properties continue to baffle scientists, including NASA researchers: the pigments do not correspond to any known earthly materials, the colors appear to float above the surface, and the image even shows a baby’s heart beating at her waist—phenomena that defy explanation. This miraculous tilma inspired the baptism of nine million Native Americans in the 1530s, integrating their traditions and fostering inclusivity, while in Europe, an equivalent number of souls were lost to Protestantism—a poignant reminder of ‘a soul gained for a soul lost.’
Book: Glories of Mary Liguori, Saint Alphonsus