Dear Parishioners of Mary Immaculate and St. Rose,
      This may seem a bit strange as the topic for the first Sunday of Lent, but we are so blessed in our diocese to have the relic of the heart of Saint John Vianney coming to our cathedral on March 16.  So I chose this as the subject of my reflection.
      It has been interesting to note the reactions of people when they have heard about the relics in the Catholic Church.  It ranges from fascination to downright being grossed out.
The idea of body parts being the subject of veneration has been from ancient times a part of Catholic devotional life.  One must remember that many of the early Christians suffered martyrdom.  The recovery and burial of their bodies was done at great risk.  Christians worshipped in the catacombs, the burial spots of their martyred brothers and sisters.
In 315 AD when Constantine legalized Christian worship, the Church came out of the catacombs and they brought the dead with them.  The altars of the new churches contained the remains of martyrs.  Until the Second Vatican Council, every altar everywhere Mass was to be offered was required to contain relics of a martyr.  It showed the connection between the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, the sacrifice of the Mass, and the sacrifice of those who died for the Faith.
      We must also remember that there were no photographs and it was common for people to have a lock of hair or something that belonged to a loved one as a reminder.  It wasn’t long before the relics of non-martyred saints were also venerated by the faithful.
There are three types of relics.  A first class relic is a part of the body of the saint or in the case of relics of Jesus, wood of the cross, crown of thorns, Shroud of Turin and other objects pertaining to the Passion.  Second class relics are clothing or other things touched and used by the saint in their lifetime.  Third class relics are pieces of cloth or other things touched to the body of the saint.
In recent times there have been several major relics traveling in parts of the world.  This is done to encrouage the growth in Faith of the people who may not be able to go the places where they normally reside.  It raises awareness of the life of the saint and increases the devotion of the people.
The heart of John Vianney is normally housed at the church where he was pastor in Ars, France. This relic has been brought to our diocese to encourage us to pray for vocations to the priesthood.  Saint John Vianney is the patron saint of priests. I have already heard of several people who will be making a pilgrimage to St. Joseph Cathedral in Jefferson City to venerate the relic, and to pray for priests and vocations to the priesthood,
I plan to make the trip and to have a “heart to heart” talk with Saint John Vianney!
Msgr. Cox