Where and how can I obtain a relic of St. Thomas Aquinas?

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Ive just recently been confirmed and I chose St. Thomas Aquinas as my Confirmation saint. Because of this, Ive now become curious about the possibility of obtaining a relic, and More specifically one belonging to or associated with St. Aquinas.

I looked around the Internet and “e-how.com”, said this about how to obtain a relic:

“do a little research, then go straight to the source. Write to the head of the Capuchin order if you are trying to get a relic of a Capuchin friar. Write to the Church of St. Susanna in Rome if you’re looking for a relic of St. Susanna. Ask the right people and you’ll be more like to have success finding a relic.”

So am I to assume that if I am interested in a relic of St. Thomas Aquinas, I should contact The Dominican order directly?

Any thoughts or Ideas on how I might obtain one of St. Thomas’ relics?
 
I came across a priest who is presently the guardian of over 5 dozen relics. I asked him how he got the relics, he just said he wrote a lot of letters.

Follow what you got from ehow. Write a letter to those who would have the relics. And if you are worthy to safeguard a relic, they will send you one.

edit:
Here are the photos of the relics from the priest I was talking about
picasaweb.google.com/fatheranthonyho/HolyRelics02#5485853145901246706
 
I chose St. Thomas Aquinas as my saint as well! Nice choice.
 
People can just write letters and obtain relics!?!?! Shouldn’t they be in a church or something?

This seems very foreign to me. I thought relics were incredibly rare, holy, and valuable things (not $$ value, but you know what I mean) and they should be closely safeguarded, even under lock-and-key, for future generations lest they be lost or fall into the wrong hands!

I’m really confused here. :confused:
But also intrigued…
 
I’m of the same mind as Garyjohn2. With all due respect to the OP, I am rather horrified by the thought that relics are not required to be owned by an official Catholic entity, such as a church, monastery, convent, museum, etc. Otherwise, the potential for improper care of the relic is enormous.
 
jpjd said:
I’m of the same mind as Garyjohn2. With all due respect to the OP, I am rather horrified by the thought that relics are not required to be owned by an official Catholic entity, such as a church, monastery, convent, museum, etc. Otherwise, the potential for improper care of the relic is enormous.
Click to expand...
Though I have no doubt many of you are familiar with this, there are this types of relics:

-First class relics, which consist of the actual body of the saint, are not easy to come by, and in my opinion, should only be held in a Church or other religious institute (i.e. monastery, convent, etc)

-Second class relics, which are things used by the saint, such as clothing, rosary beads, or any other item they possessed (I could be wrong, but I believe possession is the qualifying factor for 2nd class)

-Third class relics, which is something that has touched a 1st class relic (i.e. if you want a 3rd class relic of St. Bernadette, you can hold an item up to the case in which her incorrupt body is held - I did something similar with an incorrupt saint who was a former cardinal - his body was in Rome at a church I just happened to stumble upon!).

If you want to request a relic, a third-class relic should be easy to come by depending on what they have and how sincere you are (or if you have some special purpose for your request). Other relics may not be so easy, like a relic of the True Cross!
 
If you get a relic, it should be freely given and freely received. Otherwise, you tread in the sin of simony. Sometimes the relic holder will tell the seeker that he wants a “donation” to offset the cost of the reliquary/theca. If the reliquary is cheaply made (or its just a theca), then is the seeker really paying for the cost of the reliquary or for the relic itself?

Also be careful of relic fraud. Sometimes relics are sold with or without fake authentics. I myself have a relic of St. Thomas Aquinas with a fake authentic.

Don’t send “donations” for relics. Spiritually, it’s not worth it - chances are you’re being defrauded anyways.

So how do you get relics? Often through a friend or connection, through someone who has an existing collection, through an order who distributes them as part of the cause for canonization of one of it’s members, or through the Vicariate in Rome. The Vicariate used to distribute them on request, but I believe they will only do this for parishes or authorized groups of Catholics who have a letter of permission from the bishop.

My brother in law and sister have a 2nd class relic of Padre Pio that they received from a priest friend. My mother has a 1st class relic of St. Francis of Assisi with authentics that she received through a Franciscan priest friend who had to get permission for it. Her relic is used in group prayer by the 3rd order Franciscans she is a member of. And of course I have a fake relic of Aquinas. Tsk… tsk… for my younger and dumber days 😦
 
Mumbles140 said:
Though I have no doubt many of you are familiar with this, there are this types of relics:

-First class relics, which consist of the actual body of the saint, are not easy to come by, and in my opinion, should only be held in a Church or other religious institute (i.e. monastery, convent, etc)

-Second class relics, which are things used by the saint, such as clothing, rosary beads, or any other item they possessed (I could be wrong, but I believe possession is the qualifying factor for 2nd class)

-Third class relics, which is something that has touched a 1st class relic (i.e. if you want a 3rd class relic of St. Bernadette, you can hold an item up to the case in which her incorrupt body is held - I did something similar with an incorrupt saint who was a former cardinal - his body was in Rome at a church I just happened to stumble upon!).

If you want to request a relic, a third-class relic should be easy to come by depending on what they have and how sincere you are (or if you have some special purpose for your request). Other relics may not be so easy, like a relic of the True Cross!
Click to expand...
Actually, I did not know that. I assumed all relics were 1st or maybe 2nd class relics. Thanks for the info!
 
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NickVA said:
Ive just recently been confirmed and I chose St. Thomas Aquinas as my Confirmation saint. Because of this, Ive now become curious about the possibility of obtaining a relic, and More specifically one belonging to or associated with St. Aquinas.

I looked around the Internet and “e-how.com”, said this about how to obtain a relic:

“do a little research, then go straight to the source. Write to the head of the Capuchin order if you are trying to get a relic of a Capuchin friar. Write to the Church of St. Susanna in Rome if you’re looking for a relic of St. Susanna. Ask the right people and you’ll be more like to have success finding a relic.”

So am I to assume that if I am interested in a relic of St. Thomas Aquinas, I should contact The Dominican order directly?

Any thoughts or Ideas on how I might obtain one of St. Thomas’ relics?
Click to expand...
It is forbidden for relics to be sold so you may not buy one. People assume, without any basis, that this applies only to first class relics but Canon Law does not differentiate the class of relic this law applies to.

**Can. 1190 §1 It is absolutely wrong to sell sacred relics. **
 
Garyjohn2 said:
People can just write letters and obtain relics!?!?! Shouldn’t they be in a church or something?

This seems very foreign to me. I thought relics were incredibly rare, holy, and valuable things (not $$ value, but you know what I mean) and they should be closely safeguarded, even under lock-and-key, for future generations lest they be lost or fall into the wrong hands!

I’m really confused here. :confused:
But also intrigued…
Click to expand...
You can write and ask, but there’s no guarantee you will receive a relic. Its not like they will give relics away just like that. But in the end, there’s no harm in trying.
 
jpjd said:
I’m of the same mind as Garyjohn2. With all due respect to the OP, I am rather horrified by the thought that relics are not required to be owned by an official Catholic entity, such as a church, monastery, convent, museum, etc. Otherwise, the potential for improper care of the relic is enormous.
Click to expand...
If one who is safeguarding relics of a Saint deems you worthy to safeguard a relic as well, then you will receive a relic. If not, then I don’t know if you even get a thank you note. The priest I have mentioned has a lot and he says he just writes (its absolutely forbidden to sell relics). Again, there is no guarantee if you write you will receive a relic.
 
For a first class relic you would have to obtain a bone fragment from his tomb at the church of the Jacobins in Toulouse where they have ‘recently’ returned his bodily remains… but that isn’t going to happen.

For a third class relic you might be able to get access to the tomb and place a cloth on it and have it blessed. I turned my rosary (blessed by the Pope) into a third class relic of so many saints tombs and reliquaries when I travelled north and south Europe a few years ago.
 
Dear All

Greetings from Joju

I would like to know many online shopping catholic websites selling the relics. Is this relics are true or fake.

can i buy the relics from this websites?

Mostly they are selling the 3rd types of relics.

Expecting a reliable reply with any experience.

truly

joju
 
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