Passion Relics to Tour U.S. Again
LOS ANGELES, SEPT. 17, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Last Lent, thousands of people came to view displays of the relics of Jesus' passion when they were displayed for a few days in St. Louis, Missouri, and Washington, D.C.

Now, these relics will again be made available to a half-dozen U.S. cities, next Feb. 9-March 26.

The relics include pieces of the cross and replicas of the nails believed to have been used 2,000 years ago to crucify Christ.

The tour of these relics is being organized by the Apostolate for Holy Relics, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit group that oversaw last Lent's displays.

The 2005 tour will conclude during Holy Week in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.

The other stops on the tour will be announced later this month on the Web site www.relictour.org.

"For those who cannot visit the relic shrines in Rome, or the Holy Land itself, this is as close as many people will come to artifacts associated with the crucifixion," said Andrew Walther, vice president of the Apostolate for Holy Relics.