Lines formed, wood travel crates rolled along church floors and prayers were offered as a relic of St. Jude, who is known as the patron of seemingly impossible causes, made its way through the Diocese of Raleigh.
The faith communities of Our Lady of Lourdes in Raleigh and St. Michael the Archangel in Cary venerated, or honored, the arm of St. Jude Feb. 12 and 13, respectively. Each church held public veneration as well as a Mass to honor St. Jude.
The relic is on a 100-city pilgrimage that began last year and concludes in May 2024. It is situated in a wooden reliquary, or case, carved in the shape of an upright arm offering a blessing.
The tour is organized by Treasures of the Church, “a Catholic ministry of evangelization that uses the relics of the saints to give people an experience of the living God,” according to its director, Father Carlos Martins.
In a video about the pilgrimage, he said St. Jude is one of the most beloved saints and his intercessory power and “uncanny ability to come through … earned him the nickname the apostle of the impossible. St. Jude is the one to whom people turn for hope.”
In the Church, relics are physical objects that have direct association with the saints. They have been part of the Church for centuries.
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