Around 600 students gathered on All Saints Day at St Peter Chanel Catholic Church at Berala to venerate 28 relics.
The students from Trinity Catholic College at Auburn and St Peter Chanel Primary School at Regents Park enjoyed a rare opportunity to have such a large collection of first, second and third class relics of saints together in the one place.
Borrowed from the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia convent at Regent’s Park and other parishes from across the Sydney Archdiocese, the collection helped inspire the students in their calling to be holy and become the saints that God created them to be.
Images of the saints including Sts Dominic, Catherine of Siena, Martin de Porres, Rose of Lima, Peter Chanel and Francis of Assisi were displayed next to each relic so the students could visualise who they were honouring and make a real-life connection.
During the prayer service, the school choir performed sacred music and sang a traditional Litany of the Saints.
Sr Cecilia Dulik of the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia said it was an amazing opportunity to have so many relics in the one place at the same time, and she showed the students how to be open to their graces.
“We are body and soul and relics are another tangible part of the physical expression of our faith, meant to lead us closer to Jesus,” Sr Cecilia said.
“Throughout the centuries, the People of God have looked to the saints for inspiration during their earthly pilgrimage.
“More specifically, we are eager to ask the saints for their divine intercession in our everyday needs, whether we are asking ordinary or extraordinary favours.
“The opportunity to venerate relics is another opportunity to be inspired in our calling to be holy and to become the saints that God created us to be.”