What are Relics?

Relics are the remains of a saint or an object that belonged to a saint. The Catholic Church has organized them into three classes:

• First Class Relics are part of the body of a saint, such as bone, hair, or blood. They may also be objects directly connected to Jesus’s passion and death, such as a splinter from the cross.
• Second Class Relics are physical possessions of a saint, such as a garment or a prayer book.
• Third Class Relics are any object touched to or brought into proximity of a first class or second class relic.

The Catholic Church authenticates or certifies relics before they are publicly venerated. Each relic is placed inside a small container, called a reliquary. A collection of relics is placed on an altar or another suitable space, also called a reliquary.

The practice of veneration of relics goes back to the earliest days of the Church, and was especially important to the early Christians who suffered under the Roman persecutions.

Early Christians often celebrated Mass in the catacombs below the city streets of Rome. It was a common practice to use the tomb of a martyr as an altar upon which Mass was celebrated. The practice of embedding a relic into altars continues to this day.

 

The Relics at Holy Family Cathedral

BLESSED STANLEY ROTHER – The Oklahoma native born in Okarche was a priest who served a number of Oklahoma parishes including Tulsa’s Holy Family Cathedral and Saints Peter & Paul Church. He was martyred in 1981 when he was pastor of a church in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. This is a first class relic.

SAINT JOHN VIANNEY – Known for his tireless devotion to the sacrament of confession, the Curé of Ars is the patron saint of parish priests. This is a second class relic.

SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS – One of the foremost western intellectuals, Saint Thomas combined in his writings theology and philosophy. This is a second class relic.

SAINT JOHN PAUL II – The Polish born Karol Wojtyla was elected pope in 1978 and had one of the longest reigns in history – nearly twenty-seven years. He was an enthusiastic traveler having embarked on 104 apostolic journeys. This is a first class relic.

SAINT TERESA OF KOLKATA – Mother Teresa visited Holy Family in 1977 during a tour of North America promoting her work in India. This is a first class relic.

SAINT THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS – Widely venerated today, Therese Martin entered a Carmelite monastery at the age of fifteen and wrote about performing all of her duties with a childlike love of God. This is a first class relic.

SAINT KATERI TEKAKWITHA – Known as “the Lily of the Mohawks,” Kateri is the first North American Native American saint. This is a second class relic.

THE TRUE CROSS – Relics of the True Cross are venerated with a genuflection on Good Friday.

SAINT PIUS X – Pope Pius X led the Church in the early 1900s and advocated for liturgical reform and challenging the heresies of his day. He is depicted in stained glass in Holy Family’s choir loft. This is a first class relic.

SAINT KATHARINE DREXEL – The heir to a banking fortune, Mother Katharine Drexel entered religious life as “the millionaire nun.” She spent her fortune financing over six hundred Catholic schools, one of which is Holy Family Classical School in Tulsa. This is a second class relic as the only first class relic is her body buried in the cathedral in Philadelphia.

SAINT BENEDICT – Often called the “Father of Western Monasticism,” Saint Benedict wrote The Rule of Saint Benedict , a text used by many monks to this day. This is a second class relic.

SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT – Pope Gregory I is the attributed composer of Gregorian chant. Saint Gregory appears in stained glass in the choir loft. This is a first class relic.

SAINT MARIA GORETTI – Having died at the age of eleven, Saint Maria Goretti is one of the youngest saints to be canonized. She is an excellent example of purity and forgiveness. This is a first class relic.