civilized ku # 2637-8 ~ who the hell really knows
Thursday, December 5, 2013 at 02:31PM 
Former residence - 1513 Fleck Street ~ Pittsburgh, PA • click to embiggen
St. Anthony's Chapel ~ Pittsburgh, PA • click to embiggenLast week while in Pittsburgh, the wife, the daughter, and I took time to visit our former residence / neighborhood on Troy Hill. During our neighborthood walkabout we also stopped in St. Anthony's Chapel. Stepping into the relatively small neighborhood church is like entering into a very strange world inasmuch as the church contains the largest public collection of relics in the world - over 5000 relics and only the Vatican in Rome has more relics.
For those not in the know, relic means "remains." Relics are venerated on the premise of "beneficent contagion" in which the supernatural graces received by a Saint do not die with him but remain in the body after death and can be received by those who come into close proximity with the "eyes of faith." GOD’s work was done through the lives of the Saint's and so His work will continue after their deaths, if GOD wills it. Or so many believe.
Relics come in 3 classifications - 1st Class - Typically remains from the Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ or a bodily remain of a Saint. 2nd Class - Any item or possession of a Saint (i.e. Prayer Book, Rosary Beads, Vestments...) 3rd Class - Typically a piece of cloth that comes in contact with a 1st or 2nd class relic - and St Anthony's is repeat with all 3 types.
Most notable amongst the collection are 5 relics consisting of 5 splinters from the "true cross" on which Jesus was crucified. The non-believer / Doubting Thomas in me believes that, if all the splinters of the "true cross" were to be gathered together, one just might be able to build a decent sized house or two using just the splinters. But, then again, who am I to judge.
My picture was made from the very rear of the chapel and the group on the right was venerating a tooth from St. Anthony which was on view in a reliquary / monstrance in the tabernacle under the statue of St. Anthony. FYI, a heavenly host of reliquary/monstrance(s) can be seen behind the main altar in the center of the picture.
If interested, click to learn more about St. Anthony's Chapel.
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