Nowadays, we do not readily think about saintly relics, but may utilise their saintly status as an intermediary to Our Lord. Throughout history people have felt they are somehow closer to a particular saint when in need. As our priests will remind us, what is important to remember, is that we are all called to holiness and aspire to be saints.
From Christianity’s earliest times the Church has venerated relics of saints and martyrs. This stems from the persecution of early Christians which caused them to gather in the Catacombs of Rome to celebrate the Eucharist in relative safety on the tombs of the Saints. In religion, veneration facilitates a prayerful link to our Christian heritage. By focussing on their examples of fortitude in faith and holy life can help us to navigate our earthly difficulties. In a similar way, at Confirmation, candidates choose a saint’s name for this purpose as their personal link. A relic can be a physical fragment of the person or a personal article associated with them. There cannot be many who don’t know of or utilise St. Christopher when they travel
The natural stone in the Altar is where the relics of three saints are retained. Appropriately for our Church, two of them are martyrs. The selection process would involve the Parish Priest, the Bishop of our Diocese and relevant Vatican authorities. Firstly, from the 6th Century, Pope Saint Gregory the Great. He was an Italian monk who not only championed the Poor, but was also an outstanding theologian. It was him who reformed the original Mass. Next, is an Englishman (Thomas Becket) from the 12th Century (same time as Wymondham Abbey). He is our Patronal Saint, St. Thomas of Canterbury. He was the Archbishop who was martyred inside Canterbury Cathedral for his robust Faith. Lastly, a Polish Franciscan Friar, a saint of Modern times (1941), St Maximillian Kolbe, who accepted martyrdom while interned in a WWII concentration camp. He took the place of a stranger who was to be starved to death in a bunker at Auschwitz. He was still alive after two weeks and was murdered by lethal injection. Their Martyrdom resonates with the Far East Prisoners of War, many of whom suffered death in similar circumstances during WWII, and to whom this church is dedicated as a ‘Living Memorial’.