CHICAGO — On Sept. 5, St. Mark’s parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago will receive a first-class relic of St. Teresa of Calcutta for public veneration, which will then be permanently kept in the church.
The relic, which consists of some of Mother Teresa’s hair, was requested from the Missionaries of Charity by St. Mark’s pastor, Father Martin Ibarra, and parishioner Fernando Iñiguez.
Iñiguez said that they had asked for the relic to help promote the life and virtues of the recently canonized saint, whose feast day is Sept. 5.
“Also, so that the parishioners will be inspired with fervor and a new prospect of evangelization on the parish level and that the same will occur throughout the Archdiocese of Chicago,” Iñiguez told CNA.
On Sept. 5, Father Ibarra will celebrate Mass at the parish at 7pm to mark the one-year anniversary of the canonization of St. Teresa of Calcutta and in thanksgiving for the arrival and installation of her relic. Missionaries of Charity sisters will be present at the celebration.
In the following days, the parish will organize pilgrimages, novenas and other events at parishes that would like to have the relic visit.
St. Mark’s will be the only parish with a relic of Mother Teresa in the archdiocese. It is also the only church that has a first-class relic of Padre Pio, which consists of a vial of his blood.
“As the community of St. Mark’s, we feel blessed and happy to have the relic of such an important woman on the world level in every sense and aspect of life,” Father Ibarra said, “but especially in the power she conveys through her evangelization and humanitarian service to the most needy.”