Creating a 3rd class relic

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Today I will have the opportunity to venerate 6 relics of St Padre Pio. I would like to create a 3rd class relic for personal use. It is my understanding an article would be touched to the relic but do I need to say any special prayers at that time?

The relics they will have are
  1. the crust of the wounds
  2. a handkerchief with sweat from the final hours of his life
  3. His glove
  4. His hair
  5. His mantle
  6. cotton gauze with his blood
Would all but the mantle be considered first class relics?
 
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I would think only 1 and 4 are, but I really don’t know. Are you sure you are going to be able to touch them? I wouldn’t think that would be allowed.
 
I went to venerate Padre Pio’s relics about a year ago. A lot of people were pressing prayer cards up to the reliquaries. I’m not sure if this creates a third class relic, or if an item would have to touch the actual relic inside the reliquary.
 
Touching the reliquaries is sufficient to create a 3rd class relic. This has to be intentional. If you accidentally brush the sleeve of your coat on the reliquary, your coat does not become a 3rd class relic.

A first-class relic is only part of the body of the Saint – hair, bone, skin, blood…

Items used regularly by the Saint as part of their prayers or duties – e.g., a religious habit, prayer book, rosary – are second class relics.
 
I am bringing an article ( a pardon crucifix that will be made in to a rosary) and I am bringing an article provided to me my a close friend and her daughter. My friend just had a heart attack and her daughter is caring for her. They will not be able to attend but have asked me to do this for them. The intent is mine for my articele. The intent is theirs for their article.

The relics are enclosed and we will be able to touch them.

All of the relics seem to me to have part of him ie blood, sweat or hair except the mantle so would it be correct to say they are all !st class relics?

I just need the intent to create the relic? I do not need any other special prayers?
 
To make 2rd class relic you need 1st or 2nd class relic that will work.
 
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What a special day it was!!! We were blessed with good weather and driving conditions. We had to travel about 100 miles to get there. In the first session in the chapel we were only permitted to touch the glove. After the articles moved to the main sanctuary we were able to touch all of them. I had several things touched to the relics. All were mine except 2 objects from someone that was very ill that physically could not attend. I will trust in the Lords mercy and understanding if this was not correct. The crowds were not what I would have expected and we were able to approach to venerate multiple times. The people there were very helpful especially to to children and those with special needs.The individual veneration ended at 6:30 as mass began at 7. They announced the articles would leave at that time to be transported to the next location. They didn’t. They moved the relics with the exception of the mantle to the front of the altar!!! The mantle was placed next to the ambo. We were blessed with having them with us during All Saints day mass celebrated by our Bishop. It was a beautiful service. At the end of the celebration the priest identified all the articles as first class and they did a procession (all kneeled) with the glove around the church for us to venerate while we prayed for our intentions. At the end of mass I was able to speak with the bishop and have something special blessed. What a beautiful day. Thanks be to God.
 
How beautiful! Thank you for sharing this experience with us!

On All Saints Day, my son and I attended our regular parish, which we haven’t actually attended in a couple months because of our changed schedule on Sundays.

At the end of mass, our pastor drew our attention to a few display cases that had been hung on the wall near from the front of the church. They were full of first class relics of Saints that he had collected over many years. He encouraged us to come see them, to venerate and ask for the intercession of the Saints there.

My two Big Patron Saints – St Teresa of Avila and St Therese of Lisieux – were both among the relics there! I cannot express how blessed I felt praying there. Such a blessing!
I had several things touched to the relics. All were mine except 2 objects from someone that was very ill that physically could not attend. I will trust in the Lords mercy and understanding if this was not correct.
It is perfectly fine to give a third-class relic to someone who couldn’t be there. When my son was preparing for his first Holy Communion, we attended a presentation by Treasures of the Church – hundreds of first and second class relics in a prayerful setting. We brought a handful of medals with us, and touched them to the relics of the Saints on the medals when possible. All of them were touched to the reliquaries of the Apostles, our Lady’s veil, and the cross.

We gave each student in his class one of these medals, along with a note explaining that the medal was a third-class relic, what a third-class relic is and why they are special. We also gave each child a little information about the Saint on their medal.

It was a prayerful labor of love. 💕
 
Gertabella - That’s a wonderful experience! Teaching the Children about the Saints in that way is sure to make a memorable impact. As for St Teresa of Avila and St Therese of Lisieux they are particularly special to me as an aspirant in OCDS. The altar that the relics were placed in front of contained a relic of St Therese of Lisieux. The Bishop blessed a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes while we were standing under a statue of The Little Flower. I find that many churches have relics it’s just not always known. At one time I believe altars were consecrated with a relic in them. I never thought to ask at my church. Another local church has several. In addition I just learned this week that they have a piece of the rock from the grotto at Lourdes.

I knew I could gift 3rd class relics but I was confused by a prior post concerning if I owned the item to be touched to the relic. Yesterday I was able to deliver my friends relics and I was able to provide a relic to a member of my church that I was asked to pray for. He’s in the hospital and things are not looking good. I hope the prayers and intercessions will bring comfort to him and his family. There are a few other people I needed to pray for so I have something for them as well. After that it’s continued prayers and to trust in God’s plan.

Thank you all for your help. I’ll be following up just for my own knowledge on 1st and 2nd class. I was pretty sure the mantle wasn’t 1st class yet they were all identified as such. The others contained something of him so I was pretty sure they were !st class. I’ll see my Deacon later this week.
 
This website has information about relics of the Saints, including the difference between and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class relics.

Honestly, a lot of people get mixed up with the distinction between first and second class.

https://treasuresofthechurch.com/about-relics
“First class relics are the body or fragments of the body of a saint, such as pieces of bone or flesh. Second class relics are something that a saint personally owned, such as a shirt or book (or fragments of those items). Third class relics are those items that a saint touched or that have been touched to a first, second, or another third class relic of a saint.”
You might also want to check out their schedule, in case these beautiful relics will be coming to your area.
 
My understanding is that the two items just need to be in contact with one another.

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