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Saints Damien & Marianne Traveling Relics

Diocese of Honolulu: Protocol for Traveling 1st Class Relics

The Diocese of Honolulu owns each relic and will only allow the relic to be transported by a person designated by the Bishop of Honolulu. If the designated representative is not otherwise traveling to/from Honolulu for some other purpose, the entity requesting the visit of the relic must reimburse to the Diocese of Honolulu his/her round-trip airfare (coach class), and provide accommodations with private bath, suitable meals during the stay (or the funds to purchase them), and transportation services. In addition, a secure place in which to safeguard the relic while it is not being venerated must be provided. A donation to the Diocese of Honolulu for the work of the Father Damien/Mother Marianne Commission is encouraged but not required. All other local expenses involved in the visit of the relic will be the responsibility of the requesting entity.

A suitable table or stand is to be provided for the reliquary to be reverently displayed. It should not be placed upon an altar that is used for the sacrifice of the Mass. Arrangements must be made, to the satisfaction of the courier from the Diocese of Honolulu, for at least two trustworthy persons to be with the relic at all times while it is on display for veneration.

The relic of St. Damien is housed in a box manufactured from the wood of a monkey-pod tree Father Damien himself planted at Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Church in Kalua’aha, Moloka’i, one of the churches Damien built. The reliquary, about the size of a cigar box, contains sizeable bone fragments from the foot of St. Damien, which are viewed through an oval plexi-glass opening on the top of the reliquary. The dimensions of the St. Damien reliquary are as follows:

Height: 4 inches 10 centimeters
Length: 9 inches 23 centimeters
Width: 6.5 inches 17 centimeters

The relic of St. Marianne is housed in a wooden Tau cross (Franciscan cross in the shape of the Greek letter Tau), which can be laid flat or displayed on an accompanying wooden stand. The dimensions are as follows:
Reliquary without base:

Height: 12 inches 30 centimeters
Width: 9.5 inches 24 centimeters
Thickness: 1 inch 2.5 centimeters

Reliquary attached to base (Reliquary stands upright on base.):

Height: 13.5 inches 34 centimeters
Width: 10.5 inches 27 centimeters
Thickness: 6 inches 15 centimeters

The entity receiving the relic should plan Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Anointing of the Sick, rosary, or other devotions during the visit of the relic. It is recommended that priests be available for the sacrament of Penance. All activities should be planned beforehand and advertised in whatever way is most effective for the particular community venerating the relic.

Books, videos and other souvenirs of St. Damien and/or St. Marianne will be available for purchase at the time of the visit of the relic. Proceeds will go to the Father Damien/Mother Marianne Commission of the Diocese of Honolulu, which is dedicated to promoting devotion to St. Damien and St. Marianne in various ways. Liturgical music dedicated to St. Damien and St. Marianne can also be made available beforehand to entities that plan to venerate the relics.

We pray that the veneration of the relics of these saints may renew everyone in holiness and in dedication to those who are most in need.

Download a PDF of these instructions HERE.