Students arrived at St. Pius V Parish in Providence just as the snow began to let up. They carried Rosaries, scapulars, medals, and other sacramentals to touch to the saint’s skull, thus becoming third-class relics. “I brought my Summa,” said Sam Livingston (’26), holding up his copy of St. Thomas’s most famous work. “I’m hoping that St. Thomas will give me extra graces for finals week!” The line to kneel before the relics was long, but the wait proved well worth it. A Mass in honor of the Universal Doctor followed, offered by Dominican priest Rev. Simon Teller, O.P.
“It may seem strange or even macabre that we, as Catholics, preserve and honor the earthly remains of the saints,” said Fr. Teller, head chaplain at Providence College, in his homily. “But when you think about it more carefully, the veneration of relics is so much more about life than death. As we will profess in the Creed later on, we believe in the resurrection of the body: At the end of time, God will raise up the bodies of the faithful and reunite their souls and bodies. Relics are a physical reminder that sin and death have truly been conquered.”
After the Mass, many students remained to pray for St. Thomas’s intercession and further venerate his remains. “I’m so grateful I got to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Cecilia Macik (’27). “I will never forget it.”