Shrine of the Holy Relics

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The Shrine of the Holy Relics in Maria Stein, Ohio is the second largest collection of relics in the United States.

The history of the "Shrine of the Holy Relics"[1] is fascinating. A relic includes body parts (usually bones) from saints or an object that belonged to a saint. They are held in high respect because they represent individuals who have led exemplary lives. Father Francis de Sales Brunner, the missionary who led the "Precious Blood" order of priests, was a collector of relics. He was responsible for the first collection of relics in Maria Stein. Over the 19th century other relics were added to the core collection as a way of protecting them from the continuous strife of 19th century Italy. In 1892 a separate "relic chapel" was established in which Sisters of the Precious Blood conducted a continous (24 h each day) vigil. The collection of relics is the second largest in the United States. The Sacred Heart Relic Chapel[2] is a kaleidoscope of color, 18th and 19th century German carving, and relics distributed throughout the chapel. The "relic chapel" is connected to a larger chapel that is the central feature of an interesting 19th century brick convent. The Shrine was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and there is currently the Heritage Museum [3] on the second floor of the convent describing life during the early years. A recent segment on National Public Radio [4] describes this unique collection of relics.