Feast of the Holy Relics

Here is the list of the principal relics possessed by the diocese of Nevers: The Cathedral of Nevers possesses, in a reliquary, some quite considerable relics, among others of Saint Cy r; of Sai saint Cyr Young martyr, one of the principal patrons whose arm and other relics are venerated in Nevers. nt Je rome, Bishop of Nevers; of Sai saint Jérôme, évêque de Nevers Bishop of Nevers whose relics are distributed between the cathedral and Nolay. nt Sulpice, bishop; of Saint Matthew, apostle; of Saint James, apostle; of Saint Eugenia and Saint Euphemia, virgins and martyrs. To these relics, one must add a tooth of Saint Julitta, m other of Saint sainte Julitte Mother of Saint Cyricus, martyr, whose tooth and bones are preserved in Nevers and Nolay. Cyr; — a wooden jaw, adorned with silver leaves, contains two teeth of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr; — a portion of a tibia of Saint Aré, and various bo nes of Sa saint Aré Bishop of Nevers, of whom a tibia and an arm bone are mentioned. int Prix and his companions, martyrs of the Auxerrois. We do not speak of the two pyramid-shaped reliquaries of the cathedral. Although the relics they contain are considered authentic, we have not been able to discover to which Saints they belong. We cannot forget the body of Saint Flavia, which rests under the altar of the Perseverance Catechism chapel. Besides these relics, the treasury of the bishopric possesses some bones of Saint Cyr, of Saint Julitta, of Saint Solange, and considerable fragments of Saint Savinian and Saint Potentian, apostles of the Senonais. — Distinguished relics of Saint Trobé, of Saint Arigle, and particles of Saint Stephen, first martyr, of Saint Philomena, and of other Saints belong to the church of Saint-Étienne of Nevers. — The large boarding school of the Sisters of Charity of Nevers possesses the body of Saint Valentine. — The Carmelite nuns have a rich re Sœurs de la Charité de Nevers Congregation possessing the body of Saint Valentine and objects belonging to Saint Colette. pository of relics of various Saints. — Some relics are also deposited in the chapel of the Ursulines of Nevers. — A large cross, adorned with numerous relics, belongs to the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Nevers.

The Visitation monastery of Nevers is one of the richest in France in distinguished relics; we shall list them: The heart of Saint Ja ne Frances de Chantal, her eyes, a sainte Jeanne-Françoise de Chantal Foundress of the Visitation, whose heart and personal items are preserved in Nevers. nd various portions of her flesh and blood, enclosed in a shrine; — a reliquary containing a portion of the heart of Saint Francis de Sales an d various portions of h saint François de Sales A model of gentleness to whom the venerable is compared. is flesh; — the bodies or bones of seven Martyrs, contained in six different shrines: Saint Ours, Saint Ursin, Saint Maxime, Saint Severin, Saint Dehodore, Saint Agnes, and Saint Fausta. — A seventh shrine containing relics of several Saints: Saint Felix, Saint Populonia, Saint Flora, Saint Saturnin, Saint Pius, Saint Primus, Saint Romanus, Saint Marinus, Saint Megetius, Saint Autiche, Saint Salutorien, Saint Ine, Saint Valerius, Saint Germanus, Saint Agapis, martyr; Saint Sixtus, martyr; Saint Justus, Saint Valentine, Saint Sabina, Saint Bona, etc. — A small reliquary containing relics of Saint Charles Borromeo, and several others, those of Saint Francis Regis, Saint John Nepomucene, Saint Bridget, Saint Sebastian, Saint Frances of Rome; — a precious portion of the Holy Thorn of the Crown of Our Lord. — The authentic documents for all these relics are held.

The church of Nol L'église de Nolay Commune possessing an important reliquary transferred from the Cathedral of Nevers. ay possesses: The large reliquary which was transferred from the cathedral of Nevers, at the time of the Revolution, and which was known by the name of Christ of the Relics; it contains, under the seal of Mgr Dufêtre: A frontal bone of Saint John the Baptist, measuring five to six centimeters in length; — an arm bone of Saint James, apostle, five centimeters; — a part of an arm bone of Saint Matthew, apostle, six centimeters; — a part of a leg bone of Saint Julitta, ten centimeters; — an arm bone of Saint Cyricus, five centimeters; — a part of a leg bone of Saint George, martyr, twenty centimeters; — an arm bone of Saint Jerome, bishop of Nevers, ten centimeters; — a fragment of cloth containing particles of bones of Saint Dorothy, virgin and martyr; — a rib of Saint John the Baptist, eight centimeters; — an arm bone of Saint Lawrence, martyr, four centimeters; — a bone fragment of Saint Denis, bishop, three centimeters; — a rib of Saint Apollinaris, bishop and martyr, eight centimeters; — a kneecap of the arm of Saint Trobé, abbot, four centimeters; — an arm bone of Saint Aré, bishop of Nevers, twenty-five centimeters; — a leg bone of Saint Arigle, bishop of Nevers, eighteen centimeters; — an arm bone of Saint Euphemia, thirteen centimeters; — an arm bone of Saint Theodulus, martyr, twenty centimeters; — a leg bone of Saint Maximus, martyr, ten centimeters; — a leg bone of Saint Vincent, fifteen centimeters; — a piece of folded cloth, of sudario sancti Marcelli, papæ; — a piece of braid, of casula sancti (illegible word), confessoris; — a small vial of coagulated blood with the inscription completely illegible; — three other bone particles, without inscription, and detached from the reliquary.

The church of Nolay also possesses: A small box, covered in cloth, and bearing the inscription: Fragmenta reliquiarum sanctæ Solangiæ, virg. mart., 1612; — two other reliquaries, containing bones of Saint Jerome, bishop of Nevers; — two reliquaries of Saint Arigle; in one is found a leg bone, and in the other a part of a rib. The first is thirteen centimeters and the second eight centimeters.

The church of Varzy possesses precious relics, enclosed in their antique shrines, for the most part, and provided with th eir authenticatio L'église de Varzy French town possessing important relics of the saint. ns: Considerable bones of Saint Renobert, bishop of Bayeux; — half of the radius bone of Saint Leonard; — a small arm bone of Saint Paul, first bishop of N arbonne; — bones of Saint Prix, saint Renobert, évêque de Bayeux Bishop of Bayeux whose significant relics are located in Varzy. bishop of Clermont; — the head of Saint Cot, martyr of La Puisaye; — the humerus bone of Saint Prix, martyr of La Puisaye; — three small bones of Saint Sebastian; — various relics of Saint Eugenia; — a vertebra of Saint Lazarus; — a part of the skull of Saint Peregrinus; — a rib of Saint Eusebius, bishop of Auxerre; — a bone of Saint Apollonia; — a neck vertebra of Saint Martin; — a tooth of Saint Lawrence; — a finger of Saint Andrew.

Donzy possesses relics of Saint Caradheuc and Saint Felicissimus; — Saint-Verain, bones of its patron saint and of Saint Blaise, patron of the parish; — Bouhy, the head of Saint Peregrinus; — Chantenay, numerous bones of Saint Imbert; — Corbigny, a relic of Saint Seine, and, in addition, the body of Saint Victoria, martyr of the Catacombs, deposited with the Ursuline nuns; — Tannay, the head of Saint Agatha, companion of Saint Ursula. One also finds in the same church reliquaries containing various bones with inscriptions: Saint Stephen, first martyr; Saint Catherine; Saint Theophilus, martyr; Saint Innocent, martyr; Saint Nicholas, etc. But these relics have lost their authenticity.

We shall also speak, for memory only, of the remains of two individuals who died in the odor of sanctity; these are those of Nicolas Appleine, whose body is deposited in the church of Prémery, and Dom Mauvielle, whose tomb is seen in the chapel of the Blessed Virgin, at La Charité-sur-Loire.

We must note here some relics which are not the subject of this feast, and whose entire value lies in having belonged to Saints: The bed on which Saint Chantal died; — the s mall portrait sainte Chantal Foundress of the Visitation, whose heart and personal items are preserved in Nevers. of Saint Francis de Sales; — a mitre of Saint Francis de Sales, woven by Saint Chantal; — a vestment with which this great Saint celebrated Holy Mass; — authentic letters of the holy Bishop of Geneva and of Saint Je anne-Françoise de Chan saint évêque de Genève A model of gentleness to whom the venerable is compared. tal. — All these precious objects are the property of the Visitation monastery of Nevers.

The habit of Saint Colette and two leaves of her b reviary belong sainte Colette Reformer of the Poor Clares whose habit is preserved in Nevers. to the community of the Sisters of Charity of Nevers. These objects had remained in the hands of the last sister of the Poor Clare monastery of Decize, who died since the Revolution; she left them by testament to the Sisters of Charity.

Taken from the Hopinlogis Nivernoise, by Mgr Cronnier.