Veneration of Sacred Relics of Saint Maria Goretti

The Diocese of St. Augustine will host major relics of Saint Maria Goretti at the Basilica of Immaculate Conception in Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday, October 28, 2015.

Public veneration will begin at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, with a Solemn Mass celebrated in Saint Maria's honor at 7 p.m. The principal celebrant is Father Edward Murphy, pastor of the Basilica of Immaculate Conception.

This is part of a three-month tour of the sacred relics in the U.S., including visits to 25 Catholic dioceses in 16 states. The tour follows a papal declaration of an Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy set to begin December 8.

Saint Maria Goretti, the Patroness of Mercy, is the youngest canonized saint in the Catholic Church and one of the most popular. She was 11 when she died, and the story of her forgiveness toward her attacker is poignant and uplifting.

Admission to the Basilica of Immaculate Conception in Jacksonville is free.

When? Public veneration begins on Wednesday, October 28, 2015, at 6 a.m. and continues until 5 a.m. the following morning. Solemn Mass will be celebrated  at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Daily mass will take place as scheduled at 7:30 a.m. and 12:10 p.m.

Where? The Basilica of Immaculate Conception is located at 121 E. Duval St. in downtown Jacksonville.

Please note that the Catholic tradition of venerating relics is not worship but a way to honor and draw near to the saints, and to petition for their prayers, since they are believed to be with God. For a more complete explanation on the Catholic practice of the veneration of relics, visit www.mariagoretti.com/delta/about-relics.