A nationwide tour of relics from Catholic saints will make a stop in Texarkana Dec. 5 at St. Edward's Catholic Church, 410 Beech St. Texarkana, Ark. Father Carlos Martins of the Companions of the Cross will present "Exposition of Sacred Relics: Treasures of the Church" at 7 p.m.
It contains first and second degree relics of 155 saints and 11 from the Martyrs of Novogrudok. The exposition is free and open to the public.
Father Martins has taken the exposition around the world and said it is one of the very few relic expositions in existence, and certainly the largest of them all.
"Almost all the relics are first degree," he said.
He came up with the proposal for the ministry years ago, and at that time, it was on a much smaller scale. Martins said he worked with the Vatican to expand the exposition.
"Gradually the church saw what was happening and wanted to support it more and more and it's taken the form that it does today," he said.
It was last in Texarkana about four years ago. Kelli Nugent, St. Edward's director of faith formation, has worked for the past two years to get on the current schedule, which brings Martins through many churches in Arkansas. She said they've sent flyers to Catholic churches in the area, including those in Magnolia, Hope, Atlanta, New Boston, Mount Pleasant, Clarksville, Jefferson and Vivian, La. "We are inviting all Catholic churches around us because Father Martins doesn't get to this area very often. It's been quite the opportunity," Nugent said.
"When he came four years ago, we actually had individuals from Arkadelphia come, and someone past Mount Pleasant came."
She said they are trying to fill the church with Catholics and non-Catholics alike to learn more about the saints. She explained that people don't pray to the saints, they pray for them to intercede and bring prayers directly to the Lord.
"A relic is piece of something the saint owned that helps us to both remember that individual's holiness, the way they tried to serve God all their lives and strove for holiness and the fact that they can intercede for us," Nugent said. "If we believe that our soul is immortal, and that our soul is still alive and went somewhere after our bodies died, if that soul is in in heaven, do you think that person has a more direct line to the Lord? The Bible teaches us about eternal life and that they would intercede for us."
The exposition includes relics from St. Paul, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Maria Goretti, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, Mary Magdalene and many more. A piece of a veil will also be on display that is believed to have belonged to Mary, the mother of Jesus. One of the largest remaining pieces of the True Cross is also included in the display.
The exposition's website contains testimonials of many attendees being healed after praying to the saints represented by the relics.
"God works though them. They don't have power of their own, but certainly as members of Christ's body saints are configured to Christ," Martins said. "It's Christ's body that is active. Christ is continuing the ministry of healing he started on Earth prior to his death and resurrection. That work is an every day occurrence in this ministry and I see the miraculous regularly. If I don't see the miraculous, something went wrong."
For more information on the relics and the exposition, go to treasuresofthechurch.com.