Antique Reliquary of Saint Therese of Lisieux / Agnus Dei order Relic / Catholic Sacramental Multi Reliquary

Very important reliquary that contains a third class relic of Saint Therese of Lisieux and an Agnus Dei.

This was hand made by a Dutch Nun long ago. On one side it has a tiny remnant of cloth that has been touched to the first class relics of Saint Therese carefully sewn in with red thread. A first class relic is an actual part of the Saint (blood, hair, bone etc.). There is also a sliver of an Agnus Dei encased in the reliquary. I will include a description of the powerful sacramental, The Agnus Dei, at the end of this listing.

Beautiful hand scripted writing in Dutch that loosely translates to “touched to the relics of Saint Therese” and “Agnus Dei”.

The order reverse has a portrait of Saint Therese of Lisieux, “The Little Flower”. Upon looking at this side under magnification I was surprised to find that the light brown background that the miniature portrait is on is not paper but a finely woven fabric.

+++IMPORTANT+++

+ We have direct access to over FIFTY First and Second class Holy relics of various Saints, including several Passion relics. If you wish for this sacramental to become a very important third class relic, we would be honored to touch this to the reliquaries. A Certificate of Authentication with a detailed list of the Saints and relics will be included with your package. Please leave us a note during checkout if you would like this to be done! +
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The Agnus Dei wax sacramentals are one of the oldest sacramentals of the Catholic church. The first known mention of them was in the 6th century.
They are no longer being made so all that is out there is all there is.

This sacramental contains an actual piece of an Agnus Dei. This is a lost tradition of the Catholic Church. The Agnus Dei sacramental was created during the first year of a new Pope's reign and then every seventh year afterwards.

Remnants from the previous year's paschal candle were mixed with chrism and balsam and formed into discs that were usually impressed with an image of the Lamb of God on one side and various Saints or the Papal coat of arms on the other side. The wax disc was then distributed Cardinals and Bishops who then would pass them along to monks and nuns to prepare them into tiny sacramentals such as this. It was broken into pieces, sometimes as small as a sliver, and then sewn into little pouches. They were not always broken and some whole, original discs still remain. We have the honor of being the caretaker of several beautiful examples.

The purpose of these consecrated sacramentals is to protect those who wear or possess them from all malign influences. In the prayers of blessing, special mention is made of the perils from storm and pestilence, from fire and flood, and also of the dangers to which women are exposed to in childbirth. Miraculous effects have been believed to follow the use of these objects of piety.

In a article by Charles Hugo Doyle, entitled “The Forgotten Sacramental,” the author provides a summary of the special virtues of the Agnus Dei, as cited by Popes Urban V, Paul II, Julius III, Sixtus V and Benedict XIV, which include the following benefits:
* They foster piety, banish tepidity, preserve from vice and dispose to virtue.
* They cancel venial sins and purify from the stain left by grievous sin after it has been remitted in the Sacrament of Penance
* They banish evil spirits, deliver from temptation and preserve from eternal ruin.
* They are a protection from a sudden and unprovided death.
* They dispel fears occasioned by evil spirits. They are a protection in combat, and have power to ensure victory.
* They deliver from poison and from the snares of the wicked.
* They are excellent preventatives against sickness and are also an efficacious remedy — especially in cases of epilepsy. They hinder the ravages of pestilence, of epidemics and infectious diseases.
* They quiet the winds, dissipate hurricanes, calm whirlwinds, and keep away tempests.
* They save from shipwreck and the danger of lightning and floods. An anecdote is recalled here of Pope St. Pius V, who had recourse to this expedient when the Tiber was in flood and seemed likely to submerge the city. We are told that when an Agnus Dei had been thrown into the river, the angry waters at once subsided.

This rare sacramental measures 1 1/8” high