Question about First Class relics

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I know you can make a third class relic by touching an object to a first class relic, but does it count if I only touch the object to the sealed reliquary containing the relic?

I want to touch a rosary I’m giving a friend to the relic, but I obviously don’t want to take apart the reliquary.

Thanks!
 
As far as I know, an object becomes a third-class relic if it comes in contact with the body of the saint or their tomb. But I don’t know what happens in the case of St Therese, for example, where most of her body remains in Lisieux, France, but some bones are taken on tour around the world. I have heard that an object can become a third-class relic by coming in contact with either a first or second class relic. If this is correct, then a reliquary is necessarily itself a second-class relic and your rosary would therefore become a third-class relic by bringing them into contact with each other.
 
NPC said:
If this is correct, then a reliquary is necessarily itself a second-class relic…
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Unless the reliquary was used by the saint in his or her daily life, I do not think this is correct.

tee
 
tee_eff_em said:
Unless the reliquary was used by the saint in his or her daily life, I do not think this is correct.

tee
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If the reliquary contained a first class relic, then by virtue of the fact that the reliquary is touching the relic (it is holding it after all!), would it not itself become a second-class relic?
 
NPC said:
If the reliquary contained a first class relic, then by virtue of the fact that the reliquary is touching the relic (it is holding it after all!), would it not itself become a second-class relic?
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No.

A first class relic is a physical piece of the remains of a saint (or something directly associated with the life of Christ).

A second class relic is something owned and used by the saint in daily life (a habit or other article of clothing, a rosary, a breviary, or similar).

A third class relic is something that has been touched to a first class relic.

I suppose a reliquary is a *de facto *third class relic, but I would not venerate one as such unless it was emptied of its first class contents. :twocents:

tee
 
Am I correct in thinking that whatever the class of relic, relics only relate to saints and not those who are still at the Blessed stage of the process.
 
Thistle ,from what I have read I think it is only canonized saints
 
Thanks for all the feedback! So, if the reliquary is in fact a third class relic, will touching an object to it make it a third class relic also? Or does it only apply to first and second class relics?

I remember when St. Therese’s relics visited the U.S. in 2000, everyone touched their holy cards to the large wooden reliquary containing her bones. I remember people doing the same at the Shrine of Blessed Seelos in New Orleans.
 
You can touch the object to the reliquary and it still becomes third class. What you should have is the intention of making it a third class relic. I heard that from some relic collector.
 
thistle said:
Am I correct in thinking that whatever the class of relic, relics only relate to saints and not those who are still at the Blessed stage of the process.
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I believe you are mistaken. However I am not sure if relics of candidates for sainthood are appropriate for public devotion, or only for private use.

In counter example: The Venerable Servant of God, Fr Michael J McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, is currently in investigation for Beatification and Canonization. The Father McGivney Guild, which promotes this cause, distributes relic prayers cards (bearing a 3rd class relic) and makes available reliquaries containing 2nd class relics of the Venerable Servant of God. These items may be used by individuals in need of healing, to petition for miracles that would advance his case.

tee
 
tee_eff_em said:
A first class relic is a physical piece of the remains of a saint (or something directly associated with the life of Christ).

A second class relic is something owned and used by the saint in daily life (a habit or other article of clothing, a rosary, a breviary, or similar).

A third class relic is something that has been touched to a first class relic.
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This is SO cool. I never knew there were different classes of relics. Does anyone have any quick references bookmarked that they could point me to so I can add them to my “reference” library?
 
The link above on Fr. McGivney has a great section.

fathermcgivney.org/mcg/sainthood/faq/index.do#3

The word itself comes from the Latin for “remains” and, these days, relics fall into three categories.

• First class: A part of the body of a saint or blessed. Or, as in the case of Father McGivney, of a candidate for sainthood. There are no first-class relics of Father McGivney.

• Second class: An item or piece of an item worn or used by a holy person during his or her lifetime. A pair of sandals, rosary or pencil, for example. The Father McGivney Gallery at the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven displays the cassock in which Father McGivney was buried. When his remains were moved from the family plot in Waterbury, Conn., to St. Mary’s Church in 1982, the cassock was removed and restored, and his body was clothed in new vestments. A prayer card distributed by the Father McGivney Guild includes a small thread from Father McGivney’s burial cassock.

• Third class: An item that has been touched to a first-class relic. Usually, a third-class relic is a bit of cloth.
 
Wouldn’t the reliquary be king of like a minature tomb?

P.S. A Sacramental cannot become a third class relic as far as my knowladge goes.
 
JPUSC said:
Thanks for all the feedback! So, if the reliquary is in fact a third class relic, will touching an object to it make it a third class relic also? Or does it only apply to first and second class relics?

I remember when St. Therese’s relics visited the U.S. in 2000, everyone touched their holy cards to the large wooden reliquary containing her bones. I remember people doing the same at the Shrine of Blessed Seelos in New Orleans.
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YEAH SEELOS!!!

I have a small first class relic of Fr. Seelos that I keep on a chain around my neck. I will soom be getting a special crucifix that has a small holder on the bottom for my relic.

And to Thistle, relics are for both the cannonized and the blessed. Take into accoun the Bl. Mother Teresa, Fr. Seelos, Fr. McGivney, etc. All of their relics are avaliable. Pope John Paul II on his trip to New Orleans even took back to the Vatican a relic of the Bl. Fr. Seelos that was presented to him by the Archbishop.
 
A blessed is 1/2 to being canonized. They must prove one miracle to be given the title of blessed
 
JPUSC said:
• Second class: An item or piece of an item worn or used by a holy person during his or her lifetime. A pair of sandals, rosary or pencil, for example. The Father McGivney Gallery at the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven displays the cassock in which Father McGivney was buried. When his remains were moved from the family plot in Waterbury, Conn., to St. Mary’s Church in 1982, the cassock was removed and restored, and his body was clothed in new vestments. A prayer card distributed by the Father McGivney Guild includes a small thread from Father McGivney’s burial cassock.
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Oooooh, I was mistaken about the classification of relic attached to my prayer card. :bounce:

tee
 
Sacredheartfan,

I’m pretty sure sacramentals can become third class relics. Relics themselves are sacramentals so I guess it becomes a DOUBLE sacramental, hahaha. The rosary I touched to the relics was I guess, technically not a sacramental yet since it hasn’t been blessed by a priest yet.

I love your signature of Fr. Seelos! One of the two relics I actually touched to the rosary was that of Fr. Seelos.
 
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