Relics Exhibit at the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Makati

EXPERIENCE THE OVERPOWERING PRESENCE OF THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT and the REALITY OF THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS!

Relics Exhibit at the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Makati

EXTENDED SCHEDULE:

up to December 31, 2010

MF - 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Delight of All Saints

- A Public Exposition and Veneration of Relics at the National Shrine of the SACRED HEART - MAKATI.

“After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.... [One of the elders] said to me, ‘These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’” (Revelation 7:9,14).

The Feast of All Saints on November 1st points to a "huge crowd which no one could count from every nation, race, people, and tongue." (Revelations 7) The church's list of canonized saints is only meant to witness and give a small preview to God's grace at work through every time and place, from the first centuries until now.

The said public exposition, veneration and exhibit in honor of this great Solemnity is featuring relics of more than 500 saints including a complete reliquary calendar of 365 Saints (from January 1 up to December 31 - filled with relics of everyday saints to know about!) together with the relic of the TRUE CROSS of OUR LORD, Belt of OUR LADY (ex cingulo) and Cloak of ST. JOSEPH (ex bacullo) ...

plus relics of PADRE PIO (a piece of bandage soaked with blood from his stigmata), JOHN BOSCO, IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE, THERESE OF LISIEUX, RITA OF CASCIA, KATERI, DISMAS THE GOOD THIEF, ISIDORE THE FARMER, BENEDICT OF NURSIA, and many more!

Get to know you own birthday saint in the old calendar and know other holy men and women in the process of sainthood.

HERE IS A TEASER VIDEO ON YOUTUBE OF WHAT TO SEE AT THE RELICS AREA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZjGI8GaAhM

Hoping to see you there!

(top to bottom staring to the left: ST. CLARE OF MONTEFALCO, RITA OF CASCIA,

VERONICA GIULIANI, BERNADETTE SOUBIROUS, THERESE OF LISIEUX, CATHERINE LABOURE')

Some translation of Latin Relic Terms - EXPOSITION OF RELICS

TRANSLATION OF LATIN TERMS in RELICS

(this would be an ongoing list of translation for latin terms found in certificates of authenticity of relics under our ministry / custody)

Before we post to you the update on the OPENING OF THE PUBLIC EXPOSITION OF RELICS @ the NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE SACRED HEART in MAKATI,

I would like to post a translation of some of the different latin terms found in the thecas or labels of the relics of our beloved saints and blessed.

FIRST CLASS RELICS

Ex Lignum Crucis D.N.J.C. / S.S. Crucis D.N.J.C.

- from the Wood of the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ /
Most Holy Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ

FIRST CLASS RELICS FROM SAINTS

ex ossibus - from the bone

ex carne - from the flesh ex corpore - from the body
ex cineribus - from the ashes

ex capillis - from the hairex cute - from the skin ex tela imbuta sanguinis - from the cloth imbued with the blood
ex tela imbuta sanguine et humoris - from the cloth imbued with the blood and fluids ex panno a stigmatibus cruentato - from the bandage that covered the stigmatic wound

ex indumentis - from the clothing. Sometimes refers to pieces of cloth that have touched a 1st or 2nd class relic. ex arca sepulerali - from the wood of the coffin
ex capsa sepuchrali - from the tomb

Just as Catholics do not worship saints but rather venerate them as role models and ask them to offer prayers to God, relics are not worshiped or believed to hold any special powers.

They serve as reminders of the lives of the saints and their sacrifices for Christianity.

Objects believed to have been used during a saint’s lifetime or that touched their material remains also qualify as relics, but bones and flesh are considered the most sacred.

THE OPENING OF THE EXPOSITION OF RELICS OF HOLY PRIESTS THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES @ THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE SACRED HEART IN MAKATI

THE OPENING OF THE EXPOSITION OF RELICS

Journal Date: 25 July 2010
Venue: St. Mary Margaret Alacoque Hall -
National Shrine of the Sacred Heart Makati City, Philippines

For posterity, the three of us collaborators had a photo together with the image of the Universal Patron of Priests, St. John Marie Vianney before everything started: from the right - Sir John Paolo Casal of UST and promoter of Bl. Alfonso Maria Fusco in black, Me in black - Leandro-Jose Tesorero and Bro. Marc Elton Frias, OP of the Company of St. Dominic in white. :) Not in the photo is our other important collaborator - Mr. Joseph Vincent Atanacio.

We started the exposition with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist for Fil-Mission Sunday last July 25, 2010 at 10:30 am. The presider of the Eucharist was Fr. Jerry Quejada, a priest of the Prelature of the Holy Cross /Opus Dei (who brought the relic "ex ossibus" of St. Josemaria Escriva) and Fr. Vic Apacible, the rector of the National Shrine.

After Mass, everyone immediately proceeded to the hall, where Fr. Vic Apacible opened the public exposition with a simple prayer and by incensing all the holy relics of priest saints and blessed.

The whole St. Margaret Alacoque hall of the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart was divided into somewhat three segments:


two parts where exquisite modern panels conceptualized and designed by cotourier Mr. Oscar Peralta himself containing most of the reliquary frames

(Above photo: from the right - Sir John Paolo Casal, famous designer - Mr. Oscar Peralta, Sir Noel David, me and Bro. Marc Elton Frias, OP - Company of St. Dominic)

and at the center of these two panels was an image of the Holy Cure' - St. John Marie Vianney made of santol...

(Above photo: our other most important collaborator - Mr. Joseph Vincent Atanacio and me)

... together with a pedestal with the relic of the True Cross of Our Lord from Mr. Leandro Bantug

and two glass cases where reliquaries of the following where enshrined: St. Dominic de Guzman, Capuchin Priest Saints and Blessed, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Josemaria Escriva, St. John Neumann, CSSR and 76 Canonized Popes.

The exposition was both catechetical and pastoral / liturgical in nature: beside each reliquary frame of the saint / blessed was his profile or biography and inside the frame reliquary was his picture and his relic for veneration.

A close up of the biggest reliquary frame with the relic "ex indumentis/habitu" - from the clothing/habit of Blessed Andrea Giacinto Longhin, OFM Cap, - Bishop of Treviso under the custody of Bro. Marc Elton Frias, OP of the Company of St. Dominic. Together with the said reliquary frame is a profile / biography in English of the blessed.

Below are some photos of the hall taken after the opening of the exhibit.

Other photos of the exhibit and our different experiences to follow...

ALL FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD

in HIS SAINTS

and

FOR THE GREATER GOOD

OF OUR SOULS.

PREPARATION

PICTURES DURING THE PREPARATION FOR THE EXPOSITION OF RELICS @ the NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE SACRED HEART in MAKATI (from July 25 - August 8, 2010)

JOURNAL DATE: July 23 - 24, 2010

During the preparation of the exposition at the St. Mary Margaret Alacoque Hall at the Nat'l Shrine of the Sacred Heart last Friday and Saturday...

In the photo below, the ever faithful and saintly Ate Rosy (near the chair), most reliable Ate Lolit, Sir Noel, Bro. Marc and me trying to put on the frames already...

Fixing the lights for the hall of exposition. One for the image of St. John Marie Vianney and for the 2 panels designed by Mr. Oscar Peralta.

Work in progress on the reliquary frames for the exposti under the craftful hands of Bro. Marc Elton Frias, OP of the Company of St. Dominic . Together with him is Sir Noel of the Sacred Heart and another great collaborator, Mr. Joseph Vincent Atanacio.

The master at work, Bro. Marc Elton Frias preparing the frames for the exposition, with him is the image of Bl. Alfonso Maria Fusco - founder of the Baptistine sisters; with the refurbished reliquary frames of St. Thomas Aquinas, OP and St. Joseph Benedict Cottolengo.

Below, Me and Bro. Marc Elton and Sir Noel Besa of the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart

Relics of Saints: tangible reminders of Holiness - my first encounter

First and foremost, I would just to share my story of how I was able to encounter our brothers and sisters in the Church Triumphant directly through their relics.

I really don’t know if it was a coincidence or is part really of the golden thread that God is weaving for me but since my childhood I have already been interested with the history, defense and witnessing to our Catholic faith.

I was fortunate enough to have had a grandfather who was a former Adventist / Baptist pastor and military officer who, after the WWII, was able to find his way home across the Tiber, and became one of the earliest Filipino radio apologists in Manila. He was also said to be one of those who helped in the translation of the Bible into Tagalog / Filipino together with Msgr. Abriol.

My grandfather was quite a bookworm and had so many books about the Church Fathers, History, the Catechism and Apologetics! And it was said that while I was growing (maybe around 3 or 5 years old) he had let me go over these books literally and I almost destroyed many of them yet he didn’t mind, only “prophesying” that one day I would be able to seep it in and be able to remember them.

With regards to hagiography, during my elementary days with the Pastorelle of Don Alberione, I am proud to say that I came to know more about the saints and that I was schooled with the books of my grandpa, the 10+ volume picture books of Father Lovasik on the lives of Saints and on the books of saints of St. Paul’s Publication.

During my high school years I was fortunate enough to have my education fostered by the Rogationist Fathers.

And it was there that I was able to encounter the visible reminder of the indefectibility & indestructibility of the Church through two wonderful and memorable visits on our campus: the arrival of the pilgrim relics of the Little Flower

during the Jubilee Year and the arrival of the relics of who was then Blessed (now Saint) Hannibal Maria di Francia, their venerable father founder.

I was 2nd year High School then when his incorrupt heart was brought from Messina, Italy to our school for veneration. We had an all night prayer vigil / songfest and we were all given tiny “ex indumentis” - a small black piece of what I came to know was from his cassock- medals and his prayer card.

It was truly a fascinating and thrilling experience for me because it made me realize that saints were real people and not only statues or people from some far away fairytale. No, they were like us in every way… but they were able to succeed in “finishing the race”, in reaching the goal… It was also interesting to see how God really works and uses many ways to show his immense love for us and that our life does not end here on earth….

Uhm, anyways, after that, the reality of the ‘communion of saints’ became something tangible and actual. It was during this time that I was able to learn first hand effectively of the intercession of the saints.

The first relics that were fortunately entrusted to me were, of course, the relics of Blessed (now Saint) Hannibal Mary di Francia (ex corpore), of St. Josephine Bahkita (ex indumentis), and St. Magdalene of Canossa (ex indumentis).

Ciao!

Hi everyone! I'm Leandro-Jose C Tesorero, 24 years old. A filipino catholic youth very much interested in the lives of saints and of the wonderful work that Our Lord is doing for his Mystical Body and Bride, the Church.

This is my first ever attempt at formally writing a blog and to start seriously on what is really becoming my small passion... to let others know that holiness is possible for everyone and that the saints - our brothers and sisters in the triumphant Church - throughout the centuries can testify to this.