Hundreds of people visited Marytown in Libertyville on June 3 to venerate the major relic of St. John Vianney’s incorrupt heart. Entrusted to the Knights of Columbus by the Shrine of Ars, the small French village where St. John Vianney served, the relic of the saint’s heart will have visited 48 states by the time the tour ends. Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests. The tour, organized and hosted by the Knights, began last fall to mark the 200th anniversary of Father Vianney’s arrival in Ars. Dominican Father Jonathan Kalisch, director of chaplains and spiritual development for the Knights’ Supreme Council, said St. John Vianney’s great love of the priesthood serves as a model and witness to clergy and laity alike, and his heart is the appropriate reflection of his character. “Thousands of pilgrims would wait in Ars to have their confessions heard by him. He would sit in the confessional between 13 and 18 hours a day,” Kalisch explained. Incorrupt means the organ, along with St. John Vianney’s body, has not — without any chemicals or preservation — disintegrated. St. John Vianney is the patron saint of priests.
Shrine of All Saints installs relic of St. Juan Diego A standing room-only crowd turned out for a special Mass on Dec. 9 to welcome a relic of St. Juan Diego to the Shrine of All Saints at St. Martha Church in Morton Grove.
Relics of St. Thérèse, her parents, visit national shrine in Darien Thousands of people made the trip to the National Shrine of St. Thérèse in Darien Sept. 17 through Oct. 1 to venerate the relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux and her parents, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin.
Catacombs at Holy Trinity Polish Mission houses relics of saints A hidden gem exists in the basement of Holy Trinity Polish Mission, 1118 N. Noble St., that is open to all for prayer and reflection.