Prayers Needed: The True Relic of the Holy Cross in Boston is Missing

Kelly Thatcher has the terrible news

Some good history of the Holy Relic from Holy Cross parishioner Chris Muldoon.

"This is the relic that Father Cheverus brought with him when he first landed in Boston. This is the relic that was reverenced every Good Friday at Holy Cross Parish by the first generations of the faithful in our city from 1788 until this past April. It is why our Cathedral has its name. We must storm Heaven for its return, privately and publicly."

Crushing.


Kelly reports that nobody in the Administration from the Cathedral acknowledged the Desecration. (Shocking and sad, but not at all surprising to me.)


The parishioners are going to try to organize reparation and prayer. As soon as I find out about the arrangements, I will post it.

UPDATE - email from Kelly.

+JMJ+

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Please pray for the return of the relic of the True Cross to Cathedral of
the Holy Cross. I only found out about it's disappearance today, from a
distressed parishioner sans Internet access.

The Crucifix still hangs in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel (where it was moved
from the Washington Street wall of the Cathedral several years ago).
However, the relic is gone -- it looks as if it were ripped out with some
effort.

It has been suggested that the intercession of Saint Helena be sought. In
addition, parishioner Christopher Muldoon suggests:

"And we must do PENANCE. Traditionally, relics of the True Cross are
reverenced with genuflection - the same reverence shown to the Blessed
Sacrament - because the True Cross was drenched in our Saviour's True Blood.

After the Blessed Sacrament was profaned by the Know-Nothings in Charlestown
in the 1830's, the Bishop of Boston ordered that after every Low Mass, the
Divine Praises would be said in reparation. This practice continues after
Low Masses in the Archdiocese today. We need to follow the example of our
fathers and do penance.

This is the relic that Father Cheverus brought with him when he first landed
in Boston. This is the relic that was reverenced every Good Friday at Holy
Cross Parish by the first generations of the faithful in our city from 1788
until this past April. It is why our Cathedral has its name. We must storm
Heaven for its return, privately and publicly."

I ask, too, for prayers for the party or parties responsible for this sad
occurrence.

Thank you.

Your humble scribe,

Kelly

~~~~

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy Holy Cross, Thou
hast redeemed the world!


***UPDATE

More details are forthcoming on the theft of our Holy Relic.

After ten days of ignoring the theft of the Holy Relic, the approximately 7 million dollars 225,000 practicing  Catholics are giving communications and public relations, the diocesan PR teams have finally made a statement about Our Relic of the Holy Cross:

"On Thursday, July 1, staff from the Cathedral of the Holy Cross learned

that the relic of the true Cross was stolen from the Cathedral's Blessed
Sacrament Chapel.  Boston Police were immediately notified and an
investigation was begun to determine who might be responsible. That
investigation continues.   
"The relic of the true Cross is an important sacramental that helps
Christians contemplate the crucified Savior and the great suffering he
endured for the salvation of the world.  The true Cross was discovered in
the fourth century, and since then its particles have been diffused to the
Church throughout the world.  The Cathedral¹s relic of the true Cross was
brought from France in the Nineteenth Century and given to Bishop Cheverus,
Boston¹s first Bishop.  
"In the Christian faith, the Cross of Christ is an expression of the triumph
of Christ over the powers of darkness.  Fr. Kevin O¹Leary, the Rector of the
Cathedral, added:  ³We are deeply troubled that this sacred relic was
stolen, and we pray for those responsible.  We ask the faithful of the
Archdiocese of Boston to join the Cathedral¹s parishioners in praying every
day for its return.² 

Time is definitely of the essence now and it is critical to get out in the public in a campaign to get the relic back. 


We actually want it back and we think it is important for the diocese to....ASK FOR ITS RETURN WITH URGENCY AND ZEAL IN THE PRESS -- and put up reward for information that leads to It's return.


More on this later...