The Irish standard., 1890-08-02
OUR BLESSED & ADY.
Some The Relics. .,f or hat Are ST ST.

Some the Relics .,f Her that Are ST;
s5 sss s$ u Preserved.
Some Of tho famous relics Of th.
Blessed Virgin and the san ctuaries
where they are preser we'd, are as ! toll
lows &sss !5< as6s s#s
a portion of the hair Of the BLESSED
Virgin is all that is now left Of thu
body that was once the tabernacle OF
the Incalnat Word. Pure as the driver
snow, and from the first instant Of its
conception invested with a grace TN.
eqnalled, itwas not beco ming that. this
virginia. body should be subject to any
alteration either during life or after
death. Mary was assumed into heaven
such is the universal belief of Christen-
dom. Nothing material has been left
to console our hearts for the absense
Of Holy Mot ther save = part of her bair.
This inestimable h treasure, SO much
venerated by the Catholic world, is
kept in several different sanctuaries; in
Rome, in the Bascilica of the Holy
Gross, of st. John Lateran, and of ST.
Mary Major; in the Cathedrals of AK
la -Chapelle, and Oviedo in Spain; in
France, in the principal shrine of Paris,
Puy, Besancon, Donay and St. Omer.
Providence has not permitted many
objects sanctifed by the possession of
the Blessed Virgin to be lost; marvel
ously have they been preserved,
through ages of persecution; and when
storms Of ;niquity had subsidized, God
inspired holy persons, among others
St. Helena and st. Pulcheria, to present
them anew to the veneration of the
Catholic world.
There are in the first place, two
.tunics. One Of them is priced as the
most precious object in the treasury of
-Chapelle. It was presented by
Charlemagne, who had himself brought
it from Constantinople. The other is
q gift for which the city of Chartres il
indebted TO the liberality Of Charles the
Bold. For ages it has not ceased to
signalize its presence there by the most
striking miracles. There exist also two
white robes which are said to have been
bequeathed by Our Lacy to two pious
widows, with whom she wished to
leave token Of friendship. It appears
that these robes, after having been the
property of the, principal church in
Constantinople for, many years, were
afterwards divided and distributed
among the different churches of the
civilized world. Among these may be
mentioned: est. Lawrence outside Of
the walls" (Rome) the larger churches
of Paria, Oviedo, Aixla Chapelle,
Tongres and Douay.
One of the cinctures belonging to the
Blessed Virgin was for long time pre-
served in Constantinople; but it is
now in Rome, in the Church of st.
Mary Major. The city Of Bruges, how
aver, possesses a portion of it, sent
thither from Constantinople in the
middle of the thirteenth century. We
find other pieces Of the same cincture,
or other complete cinrtures, In the
churches of Arras, Tongres and Aix-la-
Chapelle. Another girdle is also
spoken Of, which the Blessed Virgin
herself is said to have given to the
Apostle St. Thomas, to console him for
the sorrow he felt at having arrived
800 late to see her before her precious.
death. The girdle is kept in the
church Of Prato, Italy. where it. has
operated and is still the instrument Of
numerous miracles.
Finally, we may mention the wedding
ring and several walls Of the Blessed
Virgin. It is difficult to say where that
priceless treasure, the wedding ring, is
If there be only one. Three churches
are contending for the honor of its
possession. viz: the churches of AK in
Belgium, of Semme in France, and Of
Perugia in Italy. Most likely the ring
SO much venerated at the latter place
is the original. and the others are fac
SMILES that have touched it. Countless
miracles have been wrought by means
of-each. The walls Of the Blessed
Virgin are still more numerous. One
is kept at Rome, in the. Church Of the
Holy Cross; another is preserved in
Assisium. Triars, in Germany, claims
to possess third one, due to the liber-
ality of St. Helena