The Shrine of All Saints at St. Martha Parish in Morton Grove received a special gift this Christmas when developers converting the historic Tribune Tower in downtown Chicago donated fragments of the Cave of the Nativity – the site of Jesus’ birth — to the shrine. The fragments were formerly displayed in the tower’s lobby and were part of the stone collection of former Chicago Tribune publisher Col. Robert McCormick. All of the stones from famous buildings and sites around the world are embedded into the building’s façade except for the cave fragments. The fragments are the latest addition to the shrine, which is home to more than 3,000 relics of saints and holy men and women of the church, and the lifelong passion of Father Dennis O’Neill, senior pastor. The donation came about through parishioners from O’Neill’s former parish, Christ the King, 9235 S. Hamilton Ave. Dan Walsh, whose firm Walsh Group is working on the redevelopment of the Tribune Tower, was talking to another parishioner, attorney Phillip A. Doran, wondering where the fragments and their marble plaque could go. Doran suggested the Shrine of All Saints. “They are both friends of mine from when I was there,” said O’Neill, adding that Doran passed away in September. The fragments were removed from the Cave of the Nativity in Bethlehem in 1949 by an archbishop and given to a Tribune bureau chief. The mayor of Bethlehem from the time verified that, O’Neill said. “[Col. McCormick’s] favorite of the 150 stones were the ones from the Bethlehem cave, which he put in the lobby,” O’Neill said. The fragments, which are housed in a gold star, and the marble plague identifying them are on display in front of the parish’s nativity scene. The parish is determining where it will permanently install the fragments and plaque. When O’Neill shared the news of the donation during Christmas Masses, parishioners at all liturgies broke into applause, he said. Helen Smith, a parishioner for 30 years, was among those in attendance. “It touched my heart so much to see that relic. It just means so much to have something like that,” she said. The shrine, dedicated by Cardinal Cupich in 2015, is a fitting home for the fragments since relics pack the walls of the church and fill several cases in the vestibule. They include parts of the saints’ physical persons, such as pieces of bone, hair or blood; items that the saints used, including clothing; or items that have come in contact with the saints. Collecting the relics for public veneration has been a lifelong effort for O’Neill, who received his first relic at age 15. Some of the relics have been donated to the shrine from closed churches in the archdiocese or from private citizens. In one display case in the vestibule, visitors can see a small, velvet case owned by the late Auxiliary Bishop Timothy Lyne, which includes an ivory carving of the crucified Christ and relics of St. Timothy and St. Thomas Aquinas. O’Neill searches online daily for relics to rescue and uses his own salary to purchase them, when necessary. While selling a relic is considered a sin and is in direct violation of canon law, rescuing one and making it available for continued veneration is not. “Most of the stuff in here is all rescued relics from over the last 15 years from closed churches, monasteries and convents in Europe and from palaces that had private chapels,” he said. “All of this stuff is being sold constantly and it’s authentic with its papers and seals.” O’Neill verifies the authenticity of any relics he rescues for the shrine. Authentic relics come with papers and wax seals that can be identified. Before the pandemic, the parish regularly hosted tours of the shrine. While large tours are not an option under COVID-19 protocols, people can register to attend one of the parish’s Masses and visit the shrine before or after Mass. Having the shrine at their parish and the relics of so many holy men and women inspires prayer and makes the faith come alive for parishioners, Smith said. “This is a beautiful parish with all the relics,” she said. “When you walk in, it kind of takes your breath away. It just makes me feel so good to be here.” The parishioners appreciate and cherish the shrine, she said. “It’s a part of something holy and it’s here with you,” she said. “It’s almost like having a little piece of heaven and it makes you feel so good.”
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