A Singular Collection
Among the most remarkable features of Saint Mary of Victories is its extraordinary collection of sacred relics. Embedded within the magnificent high altar and housed in reliquaries throughout the church, these relics connect the faithful of Saint Louis directly to the communion of saints across two millennia of Christian history.
What Are Sacred Relics?
In Catholic tradition, relics are the physical remains of saints — bones, pieces of clothing, or objects that touched their bodies — venerated as signs of the saints’ holiness and as intercessory contacts with heaven. The presence of a relic in an altar is a requirement for a consecrated altar in the Roman Rite.
The high altar of Saint Mary of Victories contains hundreds of sacred relics — an exceptional number that makes this altar one of the most significant reliquary altars in the entire Archdiocese of Saint Louis.
A Living Connection to the Saints
For the faithful who pray before these relics, they are tangible connections to men and women who lived heroic Christian lives and who now intercede before God on behalf of those still on pilgrimage in this world.