More than a hundred parishioners flocked to St. Francis de Sales Church in Purcellville for “Messages of Divine Mercy: a Program with Relics of St. Faustyna,” presented by the Apostolate for Holy Relics Oct. 2. The apostolate has exhibited relics of St. Faustina Kowalska and the Relic of the True Cross at churches across the United States with several stops in the Arlington diocese.
Denise Serafini, events coordinator for the apostolate, opened the program with a greeting. She told parishioners that unlike other relic veneration events, the program would immerse the faithful in the life and spirituality of St. Faustina before veneration. Father John F. Heisler, parochial vicar of St. Francis de Sales, exposed the Eucharist in adoration, and the faithful listened as he and Serafini read meditations from St. Faustina’s diary on Christ’s Passion, Divine Mercy and the Eucharist. Grand Knight of Columbus Richard Vale from Council 11136 then led the faithful in praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
Following adoration, Vale uncovered the relics as Serafini described each. The relics included a first-class relic of the True Cross, a first-class relic of St. Faustina, the largest piece of her veil in the U.S. and a sample of her writing.
Parishioners received a pleasant surprise as the apostolate unveiled additional relics, including a first-class relic of St. Longinus, the soldier who pierced Christ’s side; an image of St. Veronica’s veil, touched to the original veil; and first-class relics of the Twelve Apostles.
Parishioners lined up to venerate the relics and touch their rosaries, scapulars, crucifixes, wedding bands and prayer cards to the relics.
Lee Shields, a parishioner of St. Francis de Sales, brought her young sons Henry, Elliott and Dominic with her.
“They prayerfully sat and listened and learned, and they were excited to bring their sacramentals to venerate the relics,” she said.
The apostolate is a ministry that has provided presentations of the relics — particularly the relics of Christ’s Passion — under the guidance of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since 2003. The apostolate also presented at St. John the Apostle Church in Leesburg and Our Lady of Hope Church in Sterling this week.
Shields reflected on how venerating relics continues a reverent tradition in the church. “Relics have been venerated for the whole history of the church,” she said. “It’s beautiful to include the children in that but also to learn reverence and how we revere the special holy things from the history of our church.”
