MONROE— St. John XXIII Council 5987 of the Knights of Columbus will be hosting The Relics of the Passion at St. Jude Parish on Sunday March 7 at 2 pm. The service will take place in the church located at 707 Monroe Tpke., Monroe, Conn. This event offers you time for prayer and meditation as you contemplate the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The collection includes eight rare holy relics that would only be seen in collections generally found in Rome or the Holy Land. Included are:
The relic of the True Cross
A piece of stone from the table or room where the Last Supper was held
A piece of the Column of Flagellation
A piece of the Crown of Thorns
The effigy of the Veil of Veronica (touched to the original veil)
A replica of the holy nail which contains filings taken from the true nails that were imbedded in copies to make relics of a lower class
A piece of bone from St. Longinus, the centurion that pierced the side of Jesus
A thread from the cloth used as the wrapping for the Burial Shroud
“This prayerful and moving event is the perfect addition to your Lenten devotion this year,” shared Father Henry Hoffman, pastor of St. Jude. “The relics are set up across the entire front of St. Jude Church and are most powerful. The afternoon promises to offer you and your families a time for prayer and meditations as you contemplate the Passion of our Lord Jesus.”
Father Hoffman explained that Holy Week begins on March 28, so this opportunity is a great way to prepare and enter into the Holiest Weeks of the Christian calendar. “It is a wonderful moment to share with your family, a teaching moment for your children, or come alone for some quiet time with our Lord.”
“I have participated in this in the past as a reader and I can tell you from personal experience that it touched my heart in a very deep way,” continued Father Hoffman. “After this past year, where so many of us have been hurting from the effects of the COVID-19 virus, why not take our sorrows and burdens and lay them at the feet of Jesus on the cross. I believe that, especially this year, this presentation will have special meaning for all of us.”
“I will be there and I invite all of you to join me,” Father Hoffman said. “Lent is the time to spend some extra time in prayer and contemplating the relics of the Passion is the perfect way to do this. This is a very rare opportunity to view the actual relics of the Passion.”
The service will be videotaped and available for viewing on St. Jude’s website, stjuderc.org, on March 14.
