Montclair, N.J. – An exhibit featuring over 100 sacred relics of Jesus Christ; the Holy Family; and numerous saints, martyrs, and blesseds will be on display at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Oratory in Montclair on Saturday, February 24, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The event — which is presented by Joseph Santoro, the International Crusade for Holy Relics’ (ICHR) regional delegate to the U.S. — will include several authenticated artifacts related to the Passion of the Christ, such as a splinter from the True Cross and a particle from the crown of thorns. There will also be multiple other items connected to Jesus and His parents, like pieces from the Christ Child’s crib and the Virgin Mary’s veil. More recent religious figures will be represented as well, including hair from St. Pope John Paul II, a scarf of Mother Cabrini, and a scrap from the linen on which Blessed Carlo Acutis died.

Though visitors are restricted from physically touching these objects, they are encouraged to place personal possessions against the reliquaries surrounding each relic. This act transforms those objects into third-class relics that can be prayed with at home. Those who do not have appropriate items to bring are welcome to purchase rosaries and other pieces at OLMC for a nominal fee. Everyone is encouraged to hold photos of loved ones against the glass, too, as that will symbolically entrust them to the religious figure’s care.

“It is a unique moment,” said Father Giandomenico M. Flora, rector of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Oratory. “[The exhibit] will give opportunities for you to connect with many of your most revered saints.”

All pieces featured in the exhibit come from the collection of Santoro, who has accrued approximately 400 holy artifacts in support of the ICHR’s mission of preserving relics and promoting their veneration. Many were purchased through online auctions in an effort to prevent the relics from being acquired by private buyers (the Catholic Church prohibits the sale of sacred objects). However, most were donated by priests, shrines, the Vatican, and others interested in sharing relics with the public.

In addition to praying before the relics, the OLMC exhibit’s guests will get the chance to learn about each piece’s history. Santoro encourages all to use this education to guide their veneration.

“Pray before relics you feel drawn to,” Santoro advised, adding that people should keep watch for benefits in their lives afterward. “There have been many documented miracles and healings connected to relics.”

For more information about Our Lady of Mount Carmel Oratory’s relic exhibit, visit https://www.olmcmontclair.org/events.html.

About the Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark serves 1.3 million Catholics throughout Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties. It includes 212 parishes, 73 Catholic schools, and many missions and ministries. Hundreds of Masses are celebrated in more than a dozen languages each week. Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., the sixth archbishop of Newark, leads the Archdiocese with four auxiliary bishops. Together, they serve the northern New Jersey community through faith, education, and social services. For more information, visit www.rcan.org.

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