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Philosophy/religion

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St Bernadette Relics tour.

25 replies

Toddlerteaplease · 22/08/2022 20:39

Anyone going? It's coming to my Cathedral which is my parting church. But also booked in elsewhere as their program of events looks good. Ours hasn't even been announced yet!

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Ravenclawdropout · 23/08/2022 18:36

That's so interesting as I felt drawn to read about her this week. I was thinking about how she was treated by so many people who disbelieved her and bullied her, and yet she never wavered.

She is a patron Saint of those persecuted for their faith.

Vincitveritas · 23/08/2022 19:40

Hope you don't mind me jumping in, but what sort of relics are they? Is this a Catholic Cathedral?

Toddlerteaplease · 23/08/2022 20:03

I believe it's a piece of her arm bone. Her body was exhumed in the 1920's for a post mortem for he Canonisation.(why that is ndedded I've no idea) But she was found to be incorrupt. And relics were taken at that time. They are usually kept in Lourdes in A reliquary. They are touring the country next month. They will visit most catholic cathedral's and Liverpool Anglican cathedral. (Bizarrely)

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Vincitveritas · 23/08/2022 21:36

Thank you Toddlerteaplease, I'm not a Catholic, so unfamiliar with Canonisation etc. Once saw the relic in Bruges (Holy blood) and really wanted to believe it was real, but the cynic in me thought it was probably a money making exercise.

Toddlerteaplease · 23/08/2022 22:59

@Vincitveritas hmm yes I'm a bit skeptical about most of them. But as a Lourdes regular I have a soft spot for Bernadette.

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Fink · 24/08/2022 12:37

Vincitveritas · 23/08/2022 21:36

Thank you Toddlerteaplease, I'm not a Catholic, so unfamiliar with Canonisation etc. Once saw the relic in Bruges (Holy blood) and really wanted to believe it was real, but the cynic in me thought it was probably a money making exercise.

Some of the older relics may be a bit questionable in terms of authenticity, but I like to visit them anyway because I like the feeling of connecting with hundreds of years of people who have prayed and venerated them whether or not they come from the purported source. St. Bernadette died in the late 19th century though, so there's not much doubt that her relics are the real deal.

I'll be going when they come to a church down the road from me.

Vincitveritas · 24/08/2022 13:33

@Fink I know what you mean about the history. Do people pray to the relics and/or saints? I'm not sure why they're collected.

Fink · 24/08/2022 14:02

Vincitveritas · 24/08/2022 13:33

@Fink I know what you mean about the history. Do people pray to the relics and/or saints? I'm not sure why they're collected.

They're a bit like photographs of someone you love. It's not the same as having the real person there but it's a reminder. People pray to the saints (strictly speaking we pray 'through' rather than 'to' saints, as in we don't worship the saints, we ask them to pray for us, but Catholics often speak about praying 'to' saints, taken loosely) rather than to the relics directly, but you will see people kiss the relics as a sign of respect.

They're collected because people want to have a physical link to the saint they admire, like we want to keep reminders of family members who have died. Catholics are very hot on the idea of the human person being a soul and a body combined, so there's a whole strand of theology about the dignity of the human body. We believe the body is really part of what makes the person human, not just a shell to house the 'real' person (the soul). So even though the relics are only dead body parts, they were stil once part of the person and are a way to bring them to mind.

Vincitveritas · 24/08/2022 17:48

Thank you Fink, that makes sense. It's nice to be able to ask a Catholic these things as I don't know any personally.

Toddlerteaplease · 24/08/2022 18:17

@Fink I really have to bite my tongue when my parish gets their 'piece of the true cross' out to venerate. Don't believe in that one for a minute! Our precious bishop once let me go through his safe and try on all the old rings. There was also a box of ground up bone in it. Wonder who that was?!!

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Toddlerteaplease · 24/08/2022 18:19

I don't know how to like videos but the video introducing the tour is on the tours website. It's rather nice.

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Sadmum23 · 24/08/2022 18:25

Relics will be at The Friars, Aylesford, Kent , hope to be able to go.

eveoha · 24/08/2022 18:43

Toddlerteaplease- I really take exception to you utilising the word ‘bizarrely’ with reference to the relics initial location - please read Anthony O’Brien’s (Dean Liverpool Catholic Cathedral) statement re St Bernadette’s relics being hosted by the Anglican Cathedral - I hope you feel suitably mortified at your lack of appreciation re the ties ( ecumenical) between the Anglican and Catholic communities in Liverpool. 🙏🏽

eveoha · 24/08/2022 19:46

A word of warning though re St Bernadette Tour -I’m just making plans to attend both Cathedrals but it looks as though you may be required to register on line in order to attend - I may be wrong

Toddlerteaplease · 24/08/2022 20:04

@eveoha I'm
An ex Anglican, I know it's going there because of the ecumenical movement there, but most Anglican's I know don't 'get' the whole relics thing. I've booked a slot for Liverpool. No idea what my own cathedral parish is doing, as yet but I'll serve the mass probably. If I'm not working. They could do with making it clearer that you need to register.

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Toddlerteaplease · 24/08/2022 20:06

I'd love to attend the torchlight procession, but hotels in Liverpool on a Saturday night are too expensive.

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Toddlerteaplease · 24/08/2022 20:17

Apparently they were hoping to have a procession along Hope street between the two cathedrals but it was too expensive to close the road. Shame as that would have been wonderful.

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Toddlerteaplease · 03/09/2022 22:27

@eveoha apparently the Archbishop of York is going to be at the Anglican cathedral. He's always worth listening too. But the cathedral have absolutely nothing on their website at all.

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Phoenixrising2020 · 11/09/2022 18:42

I want to go but I am really struggling to open the registration document.

Toddlerteaplease · 11/09/2022 18:53

I don't think registration is going to be particularly adhered to, to be honerst. I think Liverpool may have to shorten the duration of the visit due to the Queens funeral on Monday morning. The Archbishop was thinking they might have to do the farewell Sunday night instead.

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generalh · 11/09/2022 19:10

They are in Swansea this week I believe.

yoshiblue · 13/09/2022 19:20

It's Salford Tues/Weds

Toddlerteaplease · 19/09/2022 18:21

Has anyone been yet? The relics had a presence that I really didn't expect. I did t feel anything when we had St Teresa of Lizeux. So it was a surprise this time!

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eveoha · 27/09/2022 13:04

I was sadly very underwhelmed by whole thing - plus Cathedral virtually empty ☹️☘️ So left and went to St Patrick’s Liverpool and given a lovely tour by a truly Christian man - was an absolute pleasure

Toddlerteaplease · 02/10/2022 00:24

That's a shame, they think around 15000 people came. Would have been more but the Queens funeral meant the schools didn't visit as planned. The Dean if the Anglican cathedral thinks they got about 1000 people. But I couldn't see any evidence of it on their events calendar.

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