Saint Stephen's Basilica in France keeps a unique relic: two drops of Christ's blood.
According to tradition, Christ shed this blood during His Passion.
Blessed Carlo Acutis' Eucharistic miracles website says the relic arrived in France from the Holy Land more than 700 years ago thanks to Cardinal Eudes of Châteauroux.
Blood of Christ
The relic is made up of two drops of coagulated and pure blood, “because it is not mixed with water or earth.”
To honor the Most Precious Blood of Christ, several indulgences have been granted over the years.
“The Archbishop of Bruges, André Frémiot, founded the Confraternity of the Most Precious Blood in the year 1621. Two years later, Pope Gregory XV granted new indulgences to the faithful devoted to the Sacred Blood,” the website states.
In addition, every Monday of Easter and on July 1, the church celebrates solemn Masses and processions - a way of giving thanks for all the blessings attributed to the Most Precious Blood of Neuvy-Saint-Sépulchre.
A Special Basilica
Saint Stephen's Basilica in Neuvy-Saint-Sépulchre was built in the 11th century, on the initiative of Eudes de Déols, a former pilgrim. The church takes its design from the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
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On July 15, 1257, upon his return from the Crusades, Cardinal Eudes gave the church the relic of the Precious Blood and a fragment of Christ's tomb.
At that time, the cardinal highlighted that he donated the relics for "the devotion of the faithful who, to have the Passion and Death of Our Lord before their eyes every day, founded their church in honor of the Holy Sepulchre."