Update on Theft of Relic of the True Cross

Earlier I had commented on the theft of a relic of the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Yesterday, the New England news outlets, including the Boston Globe, were reporting on the relic’s recovery in Vermont. The Archdiocese of Boston issued the following public statement:

Archdiocese statement on return of the Relic of the True Cross

"Our prayers have been answered as the Relic of the True Cross has been recovered. We are grateful for the great work of the Boston Police Department in their search for the relic. Their professional and diligent work made this effort successful. We also extend our appreciation to the Vermont State Police who assisted in the recovery effort. God has blessed us with His love and capacity to forgive. We prayerfully carry on His call for forgiveness for those responsible."

At a time when many works of art, like the paintings from the Isabella Gardner museum, remain missing; it is wonderful that the relic was recovered in such a short amount of time. This story of its theft and recovery will probably go under the category of “Truth is Stranger than Fiction.”

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

The Boston press has reported on the theft of a very valuable relic from the Cathedral of the Holy Cross; a piece of wood believed to be from the cross on which Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered and died. It is a great tragedy for the Archdiocese, and the Holy Cross community.

The story had me thinking about the role of relics during the time of Saint Francis of Assisi. Relics were valuable to the people of the time because they were a means of coming in contact with the Divine. Some relics were famous for their ability to heal. Relic could have an economic value for a city or town as well, especially if was the burial site of a popular saint. The community could count on large numbers of pilgrims coming to their city, spending their money, enriching their coffers.

When Francis of Assisi laid dying, the nobles and common people established a guard around him so that the people of Perugia could not raid Assisi and steal his body. When his Basilica was built, the remains of Francis were secretly buried in the church, again to thwart possible thieves. They did such a good job in hiding the body of Francis, that they lost the location for hundreds of years. Now his tomb is visible for all to see in the Basilica named after him.