Find an updated list of the upcoming dates HERE.

Have you heard of the Treasures of the Church exhibit?

This is the largest traveling exhibit of Catholic relics and an amazing experience for every Catholic! This ministry is directed by Fr. Carlo Martins and strives to give people an experience with God through an encounter with the relics of His saints.

Psst–wondering what a relic is? Relics are physical objects that have a direct association with the saints or with Our Lord. Scroll to the bottom to learn more about the different types of relics.

I have never heard of this exhibit until it came to visit my eldest daughter’s parish in VA. While we were visiting her and our granddaughters, we were able to attend one evening and were shocked!! How had we never heard of this exhibit before??

At the exhibit, we were able to see over 100 relics of saints like St. Joseph, the Twelve Apostles, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Maria Goretti, St. Thérèse of LisieuxSt. Faustina Kowalska, Pope St. John Paul II, and Bl. Carlo Acutis!

Not only saint relics are included–we were also able to venerate fragments from the True Cross and (something most Catholics have not seen) a piece of the Veil worn by the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was incredibly profound to see and pray before these holy relics.

There are so many endorsements of this exhibit–here is a comment from Most Reverend James D. Conley, Bishop of Lincoln:

Our diocese hosted eight expositions of sacred relics in our parishes led by Father Carlos Martins.  I have received numerous glowing reports regarding both the quality of the teaching by Father Martins and also the enthusiastic responses from those who attended. Church after church was filled to capacity for Father’s presentations on sacred relics. Each of these people heard a solid catechesis and a strong exhortation from a faithful priest to trust God to reform their lives.  I am sure that many unseen fruits will result from these days of seed sown. On behalf of the many pastors and lay Catholics who were blessed by this dynamic and faithful ministry, please accept my thanks for such a good apostolate.

After this profound experience, I wanted to share the schedule for the Treasures of the Church exhibit with our Holy Heroes community!

Below you can find the upcoming dates and locations for the exhibit:

Wednesday, June 22 at 6:00 pm
St. Gerald Catholic Church, Ralston, NE

Thursday, June 23 at 6:30 pm
St. James Church, Omaha, NE

Friday, June 24 at 6:30 pm
St. Mary Catholic Church, Nebraska City, NE

Saturday, June 25 at 1:00 pm
Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Hartington, NE

Sunday, June 26 at 1:00 PM
Holy Cross Parish (at Blessed Sacrament Church), Sioux City, IA

Monday, June 27 at 6:30 pm
St. Mary Catholic Church, West Point, NE

Tuesday, June 28 at 6:30 pm
St. Francis of Assisi Church, West Des Moines, IA

Wednesday, June 29 at 6:30 pm
Sts. John & Paul Parish, Altoona, IA

Thursday, June 30 at 6:30 pm
Saints Mary and Mathias Church, Muscatine, IA

Would you like the Treasures of the Church exhibit to come to your parish? 

You can click here to fill out a request form!

Now, more about relics–here is what Fr. Carlos Martins shares on the website:

Relics are usually broken into three categories. First-class relics are the body or fragments of the body of a saint, such as pieces of bone or flesh. Second-class relics are something that a saint personally owned, such as a shirt or book (or fragments of those items). Third-class relics are those items that a saint touched or that have been touched to a first, second, or another third-class relic of a saint.

Scripture teaches that God acts through relics, especially in terms of healing.  In fact, when surveying what Scripture has to say about sacred relics, one is left with the idea that healing is what relics “do.”  

  • When the corpse of a man was touched to the bones of the prophet Elisha the man came back to life and rose to his feet (2 Kings 13:20-21).
  • A woman was healed of her hemorrhage simply by touching the hem of Jesus’ cloak (Matthew 9:20-22).
  • The signs and wonders worked by the Apostles were so great that people would line the streets with the sick so that when Peter walked by at least his shadow might ‘touch’ them (Acts 5:12-15).
  • When handkerchiefs or aprons that had been touched to Paul were applied to the sick, the people were healed and evil spirits were driven out of them (Acts 19:11-12).

In each of these instances, God has brought about healing using a material object.  The vehicle for the healing was the touching of that object. It is very important to note, however, that the cause of the healing is God; the relics are a means through which He acts.  In other words, relics are not magic.  They do not contain a power that is their own; a power separate from God.  Any good that comes about through a relic is God’s doing.  But the fact that God chooses to use the relics of saints to work healing and miracles tells us that He wants to draw our attention to the saints as “models and intercessors” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 828).

You do not want to miss an opportunity to attend this exhibit if it is in your area!

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Kerri
Kerri is the co-founder of Holy Heroes and the creator of the “Adventures” they offer free online. She has graduate degrees in history and law. She now homeschools the two children still at home (having successfully sent the six oldest children off to college).