Shrine of the Holy Relics Undergoing a Renovation



From the Cincinnatti Enquirer:



Albers, curator of the shrine, said other relics housed at the shrine include what is believed to be a splinter from Jesus' cross, a thorn from his crucifixion crown, pieces of wood from his crib and the Last Supper table. Also, a piece of the Virgin Mary's veil and relics of each of the apostles are there, Albers said.



Many of the relics were brought to the convent in 1875, Hoying said. A Milwaukee priest bought the collection in Rome at a time the church was eager to prevent the relics from being stolen and sold by bandits.



The priest chose to take the relics to Maria Stein because of its rural setting and security provided by the Sisters of the Precious Blood's round-the-clock devotions. The sisters maintained a 24-hour-a-day vigil at the shrine until the 1970s, when there were no longer enough of them to continue.



In the past only half the relics were on display. I'll look forward to seeing this renovation. The shrine is about an hour from where we live.