FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2004
RELICS OF CHRIST'S PASSION TO BE DISPLAYED
IN WASHINGTON DC AND ST. LOUIS
Contact: Andrew Walther, AHR Vice President
Phone: 818.522.2005
Fax: 775.855.9479
Email: andrew@apostolateforholyrelics.com
Web: www.relictour.com
LOS ANGELES - Even before movies told the story of Jesus's final days on
earth, the faithful for centuries venerated items believed to be associated
with his death. Now several of those items or relics - from pieces of the
cross, to replicas of the nails believed to have been used 2000 years ago
to crucify Christ - will be on rare public display in St. Louis and Washington
DC.
The relics will be shown at the Cathedral in St. Louis on Palm Sunday, April
4, and at the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington DC from April 4-18.
Large crowds are expected for both events, which are being organized by
the Apostolate for Holy Relics (AHR) - a Los Angeles-based non profit that
last year drew nearly 150,000 people to nationwide displays of a sixteenth
century relic of St. Juan Diego.
"As the recent success of films on the final days of Christ's life
show, people of faith still feel a deep connection to his death after 2000
years, and we hope that allowing people to see these relics will make that
connection even stronger," said Andrew Walther, AHR Vice President.
"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," Walther said. "We hope that people will
come away from viewing these relics with an increased faith and personal
connection to Christ's loving sacrifice."
AHR President Thomas Serafin added his thanks to those who are hosting the
events: "We are grateful to Archbishop Burke and the Archdiocese of
St. Louis and to the John Paul II Cultural Center for providing venues in
which these rare and moving items can shown to the American public for the
first time in recent memory," he said. ### |
