Why Catholics Touch Items to Saint Relics - The Important Reasons, According to Church Teaching

Have you ever seen a friend or family member touch one of their rosaries or necklaces to a relic?

Maybe you attended the National Eucharistic Congress in July and saw various relics on display. Did you think it was weird or even confusing?

Have you ever thought, “I’m Catholic, but I just can’t get on board with this.”

Don’t worry, I was once in your shoes.  

First, what is a relic?

The Catholic Church classifies relics into three different categories:

A first-class relic is part of a saint’s body, which could be a piece of a bone, hair, or a vial of blood.

A second-class relic is something the saint personally owned. This could be a book, piece of clothing, rosary, glasses, or journal.

A third-class relic (this is where we come in) is an item touched to a first or second-class relic, or even their tomb.  

Why do Catholics venerate relics?

Have you ever kept an item of a loved one that has passed? When you miss them, does it help you feel close to them? When you look at it, do you remember the beautiful life and memories they made?

By the Church's teachings, we know the saints are in Jesus’ presence in Heaven, and they want nothing more than for us to join them. The saints are our friends and intercessors, and by their lives, have set beautiful examples of holiness.

When we touch our cherished objects to relics, we create physical reminders of their sainthood. Keeping this constant reminder close to us can help us in our vocation to God.

Reverence, not Superstition

Praying with or in front of a saint’s relic should always be out of love, respect, and reverence, not superstition. These objects are not magical, and we should not treat them as such.

We can ask these saints to pray for us. However, it is God alone who can intercede through the holy object and give us graces.  

Saint Jerome, Confessor and Doctor of the Church, stated,

"We do not worship the relics of the martyrs, but honor them in our worship of Him whose martyrs they are. We honor the servants in order that the respect paid to them may be reflected back to the Lord."  

Relics can bring us closer to Jesus

There is a saint for everyone. Relics can bring us closer to them, and in turn, bring us closer to Christ. Each saint, from Saint Faustina to Saint Padre Pio, carried heavy crosses. Yet in their suffering, courage and deep love of God, they remained faithful.

Praying before their relics can inspire us to live a life of courage and devotion. We are blessed to have physical reminders that holiness and sainthood can be for everyone.

During Mass, when we call upon our saint friends in The Litany of Saints, we are once again given this affirmation. 

All you holy saints in Heaven, pray for us!