HEART OF A SAINT
Catholic relic will go on display at St. Pat’s
This Catholic saint was said to have had a heart of gold in life, and even in death it still inspires the faithful.
The heart relic of the beloved French Saint John Vianney—known as the Curé of Ars—has arrived in the Big Apple for worshipers to venerate at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and six other churches and schools in Brooklyn and Long Island.
The priest’s “incorrupt” heart—as deemed by the church—is said to have resisted decomposition for more than 150 years, according to the Knights of Columbus. The Catholic fraternity is sponsoring the U.S. pilgrimage called “Heart of a Priest.” New York is the 29th state to receive the relic.
The organization said on Friday that the name of the tour also refers to “the good character that should belong to every priest. Vianney was famous for his tireless work on behalf of his people, especially in the confessional, and for the holiness of his life.”
“The term ‘incorrupt’ refers to a human body that has avoided the normal process of decomposition after death. It is a sign—but not proof—of the person’s holiness,” the Knights of Columbus said.
The relic, in a clear case for viewing, began its nationwide tour last November. It will be displayed in New York City at St. Patrick’s April 6 and 7, including during Sunday Mass.
A procession venerating the relic will be held before Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s 10:15 a.m. Mass on Sunday at St. Patrick’s, the Knights of Columbus told the Daily News.
In all, the relic will be on view at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Staten Island; Church of the Curé of Ars in Merrick, L.I.; Cathedral Prep School and Seminary in Queens; Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston L.I.; Xaverian High School in Brooklyn; and St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Brooklyn.
It will remain in the city through April 11.
St. John Vianney was born in Lyon, France, in 1786. He is known for being prayerful, generous and pure, and for sitting through confessions for up to 18 hours, according to the Knights of Columbus.
When not on the road, his relic is housed at the shrine named for him in Ars.