ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI)- Thousands are expected to gather at a church just south of downtown over the next several days to see the relics of a Middle Eastern saint. It is not particularly common that the remains of saints tour the nation, but this is the second time in just a few weeks that sacred relics have been brought to the St. Louis area.
The doors will open at St. Raymond’s Lebanese Maronite Catholic Cathedral at 11:00am Saturday for people to pray before the relics of St. Sharbel. He was a monk in Lebanon in the nineteenth century, and the miracles attributed to him come from after his death. A story is told of a bright light emanating from around his grave after being buried in 1898, and when they exhumed the body after four months, it was in perfect condition. It is said to have not decomposed until the mid-1960’s when he was made a saint.
There have been some 1,200 instances of people being healed in various ways after praying before St. Sharbel’s remains.
It was less than two weeks ago that the relics of St. Maria Goretti were brought to Belleville, Illinois. About 5,000 lined up to see the remains of the Italian girl, the youngest saint in the Roman Catholic Church.
The Relics will be visiting St. Raymond’s through Wednesday November 4th. These relics are normally kept in Lebanon. The visit is commemorating the 50th anniversary of St. Sharbel’s beatification.
