First-class relics of St. Bernadette will stop at the three parishes in the diocese. The 130-pound reliquary contains pieces of bone and muscle the beloved saint’s ribs, femur and knee. CHARLOTTE — Instead of making the 4,399-mile trip to Lourdes, France, mark your calendars for Nov. 11-17 as the Our Lady of Lourdes experience makes its way through the Diocese of Charlotte.
St. Bernadette’s relics are traveling throughout the nation and will stop at three diocesan churches. The public is invited to attend a special week of veneration and sacred moments with one of the most beloved saints of modern times.
This is the second time the relics have visited the diocese. In 2022, the tour went through St. Bernadette Church in Linville. It will now also stop at Belmont Abbey in Belmont and St. Pius X in Greensboro.
“St. Bernadette continues to mean so much to people because her life reminds us that God is close to us in our humility and vulnerability,” said Father Christopher Bond, pastor of St. Bernadette. “I am grateful that her relics will return this November, and I look forward to welcoming people once again to pray, find comfort and experience the hope that made her first visit so meaningful.”
The 24-karat gold-plated St. Bernadette reliquary weighs about 130 pounds. The first-class relics are fragments of St. Bernadette’s bone and hair.
The relic will be accompanied by two Grotto of Massabielle rocks that are mounted on wooden boards and the healing waters from the Lourdes spring, which will be used for anointing of the sick and healing Masses.
According to Toni Pallatto, the U.S. representative for the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes who is organizing the events, the St. Bernadette relics have reportedly already brought healing to many.
She related that a man in Washington, D.C., has claimed a medical miracle after his tumor reportedly shrunk to the point where doctors said there was no need for medical intervention.
“Remember, healing is not only physical. There is a lot of spiritual healing that goes on,” said Pallatto. “Bringing St. Bernadette to so many locations with the opportunity for healing, hope, prayer and penance is remarkable, particularly in today’s world where we are looking for healing and hope. We are bringing this to people who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity.”
— Lisa M. Geraci
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