St. Augustine, Fla. – In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Apparitions of Fatima, the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios (27 Ocean Ave., St. Augustine) is hosting a weekend of prayer and liturgical celebrations for the veneration of the relics of St. John Paul II and St. Padre Pio on August 5-6.
The relics will be available from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 5 and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 6. (see schedule below).
A relic is a piece of the body of a saint, an item owned or used by the saint or an object which has been touched to the tomb of a saint. A first-class relic is a part of the saint’s body. The relics being venerated at the shrine is a vial of blood from St. John Paul II and St. Padre Pio. Why venerate a relic? From the earliest times, Catholics have honored the relics of Christians who were martyred or lived especially holy lives. Traditionally, people venerate relics by touching or kissing the reliquary in which the fragment of the holy person’s physical remains or personal item is kept. Veneration is an expression of reverence for the holiness of the saint, and pilgrims often ask for the saint to intercede on their behalf before God for spiritual assistance, physical healing, or other particular graces.
For more details and interviews, call Father Ivan Carrillo-Paris at (904) 824-2809 or email fathercarrilloparis@missionandshrine.org. The relics are open to the public at no charge.
Saturday, August 5
10:30 a.m. Rosary and Confessions
11:00 a.m. Presentation: Introductions to the Devotion of Our Lady of Fatima
Noon Mass
1:00 p.m. Presentation: Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
1:45 p.m. Veneration of Relics
3:00 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet
3:30 p.m. Veneration of Relics
4:00 p.m. Presentation: Immaculate Heart of Mary and Our Lady of Fatima
Sunday, August 6
Noon Rosary and Confessions
1:00 p.m. Sunday Mass for Pilgrims
2:00 p.m. Presentation: The Devotion to the Immaculate Heart and Our Lady of Fatima
3:00 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet
3:30 p.m. Veneration of Relics
4:00 p.m. Final Blessing
For more details, call Father Ivan Carrillo-Paris, ICC, at (904) 824-2809 or email fathercarrilloparis@missionandshrine.org.