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| VENERATION: The hand of St Francis Xavier in a reliquary at the Jesuits’ Church of the Gesu in Rome. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) |
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The forearm of St Francis Xavier, one of Australia’s patron saints, will be in Sydney for the saint’s feast day on 3 December, the first time the relic has been away from the Church of the Gesu in Rome for that date.
“It is housed in Rome, and it has travelled a couple of times outside of Rome but it has never been outside of Rome for the feast,” said Jake Ryan, projects and events officer for the Sydney Archdiocese.
“The feast day Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral will be a mammoth event, it will certainly draw everyone together to celebrate the pilgrimage, his feast day and the work that he has done.”
Though Sydney has been fortunate to host visiting relics in previous years, including the body of Bl Pier Giorgio Frassati in 2008, and the relics of St Thér?se of Lisieux in 2002, relics are still rare for the Church in Australia.
“The idea of relics is very big in European cultures, and not so much in Australia. But a lot of dioceses are still very interested in the legacy St Francis has through his great
missionary work.
“It’s the very arm that baptised thousands upon thousands of people.”
The relic’s tour was instigated by Bishop Peter Comensoli, auxiliary bishop of Sydney, with the co-operation of the Jesuits.
Bishop Comensoli, who has a personal devotion to St Francis Xavier and wanted to commemorate the Year of Grace, will travel to Rome to escort the relic back to Australia. He will arrive with the relic on Sunday, 16 September.
It will visit parishes across Sydney in September, including North Sydney, Broadway, Mortlake, Sutherland, and Arncliffe, and will then tour Australia before returning to the
archdiocese on 30 November.
It will travel mainly by road, courtesy of Invocare funeral directors.
Visit www.pilgrimageofgrace.org.au for the full itinerary.
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