St. Francis Xavier’s forearm on display at Calgary churches this weekend
The right forearm of St. Francis Xavier will be making its first ever stop in Calgary on Sunday and Monday, giving Calgarians the chance to see the relic amid its 14city tour across Canada.
On Sunday, the relic will be viewable to the public at St. Albert the Great Church in the southeast between 1 p.m. and 10 p.m. That includes a mass which will take place at 5 p.m., followed by a procession, blessing and talk about the meaning of St. Francis Xavier’s life mission.
The following day, the arm will make its way to St. Michael Catholic Community in the southwest and be available for viewing after 6:30 p.m.
“What’s significant about the hand is that it was the hand that baptized hundreds of thousands of people,” said Father John Nemanic, the pastor of St. Michael Catholic Community. “It’s extremely rare. It rarely leaves the Jesuit mother house in Rome. It rarely leaves Rome, period. It’s a real treat to be able to experience the presence of someone who is venerated as a great saint within the whole Catholic church.”
The relic is visiting 14 Canadian cities throughout the month as part of a visit organized by the Archdiocese of Ottawa, the Canadian Jesuits and Catholic Christian Outreach for Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
“This is the first time the hand of St. Francis Xavier is coming to Canada,” said Father Julian Studden, the pastor of St. Albert the Great Church. “It’s a great experience. It gives you that experience that you’re in the presence of a person who didn’t think of himself, but gave himself completely to Christ.”
The arm is on permanent display at the Church of the Gesù in Rome. It last left Rome for a trip to Australia in 2012.
St. Francis, who died in 1552, is considered one of the co-founders of the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuit movement.
Nemanic said the relic represents “that holiness is possible for people, that they can become instruments of God’s presence in the world.”
What’s significant about the hand is that it was the hand that baptized hundreds of thousands of people.