Exceptional Silver Reliquary with Relics of Twenty-Two Saints Including a Relic ex velo of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Exceptional Silver Reliquary with Relics of Twenty-Two Saints Including a Relic ex velo of the Blessed Virgin Mary

With Original Authentication Document Signed by Cardinal Lucido Maria Parocchi Rome, late 19th century

Dimensions: 6 × 4.5 cm

Material: Silver reliquary with glazed front, red silk ground

Relics: ex ossibus (from the bones) and ex velo B.V.M.

Condition: Sealed with original red silk threads and intact cardinalatial wax seal

Description

This exceptional and richly composed silver reliquary contains an extraordinary assembly of relics of twenty-two saints, carefully arranged in a cruciform devotional schema upon a deep red silk ground. At its spiritual apex is a revered relic ex velo of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a fragment of her veil.

Surrounding this central Marian relic are authenticated bone relics (ex ossibus) of Apostles, Doctors of the Church, founders of religious orders, royal saints, mystics, and reformers, representing a comprehensive spiritual panorama of the Catholic Church’s apostolic, theological, and monastic heritage.

The reverse retains its original parchment cover, secured with red silk cords and the untouched wax seal of Cardinal Lucido Maria Parocchi, confirming that the reliquary has never been opened since its official ecclesiastical authentication.

Accompanying the reliquary is its original Latin document of authentication, issued in Rome and signed by the Cardinal himself, providing unimpeachable provenance.

Saints Represented in the Reliquary

(as identified by the original Latin labels)

• Ex velo B.V.M. - Relic of the veil of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Apostolic and Biblical Saints

• Saint John the Baptist – Forerunner of Christ
• Saint Peter the Apostle – Prince of the Apostles
• Saint Paul the Apostle – Apostle of the Gentiles
• Saint Matthew the Apostle – Evangelist

  Doctors of the Church

• Saint Thomas Aquinas – Doctor Angelicus
• Saint Bernard of Clairvaux – Mystic and Doctor
• Saint Teresa of Ávila – Carmelite Doctor
• Saint Catherine of Siena – Virgin and Doctor of the Church

  Founders and Reformers

• Saint Francis of Assisi – Founder of the Franciscans
• Saint Ignatius of Loyola – Founder of the Jesuits
• Saint Vincent de Paul – Apostle of Charity
• Saint Anthony of Padua – Franciscan Doctor

  Royal, Jesuit, and Counter-Reformation Saints

• Saint Edward the Confessor – King of England
• Saint Aloysius Gonzaga – Jesuit novice
• Saint Stanislaus Kostka – Jesuit novice and patron of seminarians
• Saint Charles Borromeo – Archbishop of Milan, reformer

  Additional Saints

Further saints are present, each individually labeled in Latin, completing a total of twenty-two authenticated holy relics, forming a true encyclopedic reliquary.

  The Authenticating Prelate Lucido Maria Parocchi (1833–1903)

Cardinal Parocchi was one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 19th century. Serving as Cardinal-Vicar of Rome, he exercised direct authority on behalf of the Pope over the Diocese of Rome and its relic authentications.

His signature and seal represent:

• The highest Roman level of ecclesiastical approval
• Absolute compliance with Canon Law regarding relics
• Direct papal jurisdiction

Relics authenticated by Cardinal Parocchi are especially prized, as relatively few were issued during his tenure and even fewer survive with both document and intact seal.

  Significance

This reliquary is not merely a devotional object but a theological statement in silver and bone—a tangible communion of Marian devotion, apostolic authority, doctrinal clarity, monastic sanctity, and Counter-Reformation reform.

Comparable complete, sealed examples with:

• 22 identified saints
• A Marian veil relic
• Original cardinal documentation are exceptionally rare.

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