This is a antique copper theca with silver front, inside relics of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Saint Barnabas the Apostle, Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, Saint John the Apostle, Saint Jude Thaddeus, Saint Matthias the Apostle, Saint Peter the Apostle, Saint Paul Apostle, Saint Philip the Apostle, Saint Simon the Apostle, Saint Thomas the Apostle, Saint Matthias the Apostle and Evangelist, Saint Jacobi Major,Saint Jacobi Minor, de Sepulcro B.M.V, de pallio Saint Joseph and de Sepulcro Domini Nostri Jesu Chr.

All relics in place and wax seal and threads intact. Sealed with the seal of Engelbertus Sterckx  who was Archbishop at Mechelen.

Comes from a convent in Belgium. Measures 3,5x2,8 inch.Shipping and handling US$ 27,00 by insured priority mail and tracking number. All my items are securely packet, to avoid all possible damage.

Our Non Paying Buyer process is now automatically managed by Ebay.  The process starts four days after auction end and closes as soon as payment is received.  

As per Ebay policy,this reliquary does not contain human remains but only objects of devotion.

Please be carefull when buying relics online. Fake relics are increasingly more and more of a problem. Most of the relics I sell are from convents in Belgium and Italy. I have been collecting relics for more than 25 years. I consider myself an expert. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Please contact me if you have any questions. Items cannot be returned!

 

Please see my other auctions for more antique catholic items

Engelbertus Sterckx was born 2 November 1792 in Ophem, Brabant. His parents were farmers. He began his studies in Vilvoorde, after which he studied humanities at the college of Enghien (1805-1807). After secondary school in Leuven, he entered the Major Seminary, Mechelen, on 18 September 1811 and in 1813 was named subsecretary of archdiocesan curia of Mechelen in 1813.

 

Sterckx was ordained, with an age exemption, as priest for the Archdiocese of Mechelen, on 18 February 1815. He was vice-regent and professor of philosophy and moral theology at Mechelen from 1815 to 1821 when he was appointed pastor at Boechout. In 1824 he was appointed archpriest of the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp. In 1827, he was named vicar general to Archbishop, Francis Anthony de Méan of Mechelen, and organized the opposition of the clergy to the religious policies of William I.

 

 

Saint Matthew the Apostle

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Son of Alphaeus, he lived at Capenaum on Lake Genesareth. He was a Roman tax collector, a position equated with collaboration with the enemy by those from whom he collected taxes. Jesus’ contemporaries were surprised to see the Christ with a traitor, but Jesus explained that he had come “not to call the just, but sinners.”

Matthew’s Gospel is given pride of place in the canon of the New Testament, and was written to convince Jewish readers that their anticipated Messiah had come in the person of Jesus. He preached among the Jews for 15 years; his audiences may have included the Jewish enclave in Ethiopia, and places in the East.

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Saint Andrew the Apostle

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The first Apostle. Fisherman by trade. Brother of Simon Peter. Follower of John the Baptist. Andrew went through life leading people to Jesus, both before and after the Crucifixion. Missionary in Asia Minor and Greece, and possibly areas in modern Russia and Poland. Martyred on an saltire (x-shaped) cross, he is said to have preached for two days from it.

Some peculiar marriage-related superstitions have attached themselves to Saint Andrew’s feast day.

·         An old German tradition says that single women who wish to marry should ask for Saint Andrew’s help on the eve of his feast, then sleep naked that night; they will see their future husbands in their dreams.

·         Another says that young women should note the location of barking dogs on Saint Andrew’s Eve: their future husbands will come from that direction.

·         On the day after Andrew’s feast, young people float cups in a tub; if a boy‘s and a girl‘s cup drift together and are intercepted by a cup inscribed “priest”, it indicates marriage.

There are several explanations for why Andrew became the patron of Scotland.

·         In 345, Emperor Constantine the Great decided to translate Andrew’s bones from Patras, Greece to Constantinople. Saint Regulus of Scotland was instructed by an angel to take many of these relics to the far northwest. He was eventally told to stop on the Fife coast of Scotland, where he founded the settlement of Saint Andrew.

·         In the 7th century, Saint Wilfrid of York brought some of the saint‘s relics with him after a pilgrimage to Rome, Italy. The Scots king, Angus MacFergus, installed them at Saint Andrew’s to enhance the prestige of the new diocese.

·         When the Pictish King Angus faced a large invading army, he prayed for guidance. A white cloud in the form of a saltire cross floated across the blue sky above him. Angus won a decisive victory, and decreed that Andrew would be the patron saint of his country. Following Robert Bruce’s victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, the Declaration of Arbroath officially named Saint Andrew the patron saint of Scotland. The Saltire became the national flag of Scotland in 1385.

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Saint Bartholomew the Apostle

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One of the Twelve Apostles. Probably a close friend of Saint Philip; Bartholomew’s name is always mentioned in the Gospels in connection with Philip, and it was Philip who brought Bartholomew to Jesus. May have written a gospel, now lost; it is mentioned in other writings of the time. May have preached in Asia Minor, Ethiopia, India and Armenia; some one did, leaving behind assorted writings, and local tradition says it was Bartholomew. Martyr.

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Saint Barnabas the Apostle

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Levite Jewish convert, coming to the faith soon after Pentecost, taking the name Barnabas. Though not of the chosen Twelve Apostles, Barnabas is mentioned frequently in the Acts of the Apostles, is included among the prophets and doctors at Antioch, and is considered an Apostle. Companion of Saint Paul who introduced him to the Apostles. Like Paul, Barnabas believed in the Church‘s mission to Gentiles, and worked with him in Cyprus and Asia, but split with him over a non-theological matter. Evangelized in Cyprus with Saint Mark. Founded the Church in Antioch. Subject and possible author of some apocryphal works. Martyr.

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Saint Matthias the Apostle

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Apostle. As he could bear witness to the Resurrection of Jesus, he was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. Preached the Gospel for more than 30 years in Judea, Cappadocia, Egypt and Ethiopia. Remembered for preaching the need for mortification of the flesh with regard to all its sensual and irregular desires. Martyr.

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Saint Jude Thaddeus

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Son of Cleophas, who died a martyr, and Mary who stood at the foot of the Cross, and who annointed Christ’s body after death. Brother of Saint James the Lesser. Nephew of Mary and Joseph; blood relative of Jesus Christ, and reported to look a lot like him. May have been a fisherman. Apostle.

Wrote the canonical Epistle named for him. Preached in Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia with Saint Simon. Tradition says that he and Saint Bartholomew were among the first to bring Christianity to Armenia. Jude was known to have the gift of healing, and to serve as an exorcist; he could exorcise pagan idols, which caused the demons to flee them and the statues to crumble.

His patronage of lost or impossible causes traditionally derives from confusion by many early Christians between Jude and the traitor Judas Iscariot; not understanding the difference between the names, they never prayed for Jude’s help, and devotion to him became something of a lost cause.

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Saint Simon the Apostle

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Apostle. Called the Cananean or Zealot because of his zeal for the Jewish law; he was not from Cana, nor a member of the Zealot party. Like all the Apostles, he was a convert, and was trained by Saint Peter the Apostle. Evangelized in Egypt and Mesopotamia, though there are traditions of him being in several other locations. He was a martyr for the faith, but several places claim to have been the site of that, too.

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Saint Philip the Apostle

Memorial

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Disciple of Saint John the Baptist. Convert. One of the Twelve Apostle. Brought Saint Nathanael to Christ. Confidant of Jesus. Little is known about him, but scriptural episodes give the impression of a shy, naive, but practical individual. Preached in Greece and Asia Minor. Martyr.

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Kamenz, Germany

 

Saint James the Lesser

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Cousin of Jesus. Brother of Saint Jude Thaddeus. Raised is a Jewish home of the time with all the training in Scripture and Law that was part of that life. Convert. One of the Twelve Apostles. One of the first to have visions of the risen Christ. First Bishop of Jerusalem. Met with Saint Paul the Apostle to work out Paul‘s plans for evangelization. Supported the position that Gentile converts did not have to obey all Jewish religious law, though he continued to observe it himself as part of his heritage, may have been a vegetarian. A just and apostolic man known for his prayer life and devotion to the poor. Martyr.

Having been beaten to death, a club almost immediately became his symbol. This led to his patronage of fullers and pharmacists, both of whom use clubs in their professions. He is reported to have spent so much time in prayer that his knees thickened, and looked like a camel’s. Soon after the Crucifixion, James said he would fast until Christ returned; the resurrected Jesus appeared to him, and fixed a meal for James Himself.

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Saint James the Greater

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Son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of Saint John the Apostle, and may have been Jesus’ cousin. He is called “the Greater” simply because he became an Apostle before Saint James the Lesser. Apparent disciple of Saint John the Baptist. Fisherman. He left everything when Christ called him to be a fisher of men. Was present during most of the recorded miracles of Christ. Preached in Samaria, Judea, and Spain. First Apostle to be martyred.

The pilgrimage to his relics in Compostela became such a popular devotion that the symbols of pilgrims have become his emblems, and he became patron of pilgrims. His work in Spain, and the housing of his relics there, led to his patronage of the country and all things Spanish; for centuries, the Spanish army rode to battle with the cry “Santiago!” (“Saint James!”)

Like all men of renown, many stories grew up around James. In one, he brought back to life a boy who had been unjustly hanged, and had been dead for five weeks. The boy‘s father was notified of the miracle while he sat at supper. The father pronounced the story nonsense, and said his son was no more alive than the roasted fowl on the table; the cooked bird promptly sat up, sprouted feathers, and flew away.

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Saint Thomas the Apostle

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Apostle. He was ready to die with Jesus when Christ went to Jerusalem, but is best remembered for doubting the Resurrection until allowed to touch Christ’s wounds. Preached in Parthia, Persia and India, though he was so reluctant to start the mission that he had to be taken into slavery by a merchant headed that way. He eventually gave in to God‘s will, was freed, and planted the new Church over a wide area. He formed many parishes and built many churches along the way. An old tradition says that Thomas baptised the wise men from the Nativity into Christianity.

His symbol is the builder’s square; there are several stories that explain it

·         he built a palace for King Guduphara in India

·         he built the first church in India with his own hands

·         it is representative building a strong spiritual foundation as he had complete faith in Christ (though initially less in the Resurrection)

·         he offered to build a palace for an Indian king that would last forever; the king gave him money, which Thomas promptly gave away to the poor; he explained that the palace he was building was in heaven, not on earth

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bones and the spear that killed him are enshrined in the Saint Thomas Cathedral Basilica

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Saint John the Apostle

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Memorial

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Son of Zebedee and Salome. Fisherman. Brother of Saint James the Greater, and called one of the Sons of Thunder. Disciple of Saint John the Baptist. Friend of Saint Peter the Apostle. Called by Jesus during the first year of His ministry, and traveled everywhere with Him, becoming so close as to be known as the beloved disciple. Took part in the Last Supper. The only one of the Twelve not to forsake the Saviour in the hour of His Passion, standing at the foot of the cross. Made guardian of Our Lady by Jesus, and he took her into his home. Upon hearing of the Resurrection, he was the first to reach the tomb; when he met the risen Lord at the lake of Tiberias, he was the first to recognize Him.

During the era of the new Church, he worked in Jerusalem and at Ephesus. During Jesus’ ministry, he tried to block a Samaritan from their group, but Jesus explained the open nature of the new Way, and he worked on that principle to found churches in Asia Minor and baptizing converts in Samaria. Imprisoned with Peter for preaching after Pentecost. Wrote the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and possibly the Book of Revelation. Survived all his fellow apostles.

Traditional stories:

·         Emperor Dometian had him brought to Rome, beaten, poisoned, and thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil, but he stepped out unharmed and was banished to Patmos instead. This is commemorated by the feast of Saint John before the Latin Gate.

·         When John was en route to preach in Asia, his ship was wrecked in a storm; all but John were cast ashore. John was assumed dead, but two weeks later the waves cast him ashore alive at the feet of his disciple Prochoros.

·         When John denounced idol worship as demonic, followers of Artemis stoned him; the rocks turned and hit the throwers.

·         He prayed in a temple of Artemis; fire from heaven killed 200 men who worshipped the idol. When the remaining group begged for mercy, he raised the 200 from the dead; they all converted and were baptized.

·         Drove out a demon who had lived in a pagan temple for 249 years.

·         Aboard ship, he purified vessels of sea water for drinking.

·         Ceonops, a magician, pretended to bring three dead people come to life; the “people” were actually demons who mimicked people so the magician could turn people away from Christ. Through prayer, John caused the magician to drown and the demons to vanish.

·         Once a year his grave gave off a fragrant dust that cured the sick.

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Saint Paul the Apostle

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Jewish Talmudic student. Pharisee. Tent-maker by trade. Saul the Jew hated and persecuted Christians as heretical, even assisting at the stoning of Saint Stephen the Martyr. On his way to Damascus, Syria, to arrest another group of faithful, he was knocked to the ground, struck blind by a heavenly light, and given the message that in persecuting Christians, he was persecuting Christ. The experience had a profound spiritual effect on him, causing his conversion to Christianity. He was baptized, changed his name to Paul to reflect his new persona, and began travelling, preaching and teaching. His letters to the churches he help found form a large percentage of the New Testament. Knew and worked with many of the earliest saints and fathers of the Church. Martyr.

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Saint Peter the Apostle

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Professional fisherman. Brother of Saint Andrew the Apostle, the man who led him to Christ. Apostle. Renamed “Peter” (rock) by Jesus to indicate that Peter would be the rock-like foundation on which the Church would be built. Bishop. First Pope. Miracle worker.

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