A church in São Simão, São Paulo, will become the permanent home for a first-degree relic of Saint John Paul II, a revered figure in the Catholic Church. This relic, containing the blood of the late Polish pope Karol Wojtyla, who passed away in 2005, will be displayed at the São Simão Apóstolo Church. The arrival of this sacred item is set to be commemorated with ceremonies starting Sunday, May 17.
The relic, originating from Krakow, Poland, symbolizes a fragment of the saint’s body, a practice recognized by the Catholic Church. The church anticipates that this event will draw pilgrims to the town, which has a population of 13,500, potentially turning it into a pilgrimage site.
The relic will be officially received during a mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral of São Sebastião in Ribeirão Preto. The following day, it will be transported to São Simão, where a procession and a formal mass led by Archbishop Dom Moacir Silva will take place.
Father Wagner Gleyson Theodoro, the parish priest, expressed the deep spiritual and communal significance of the relic’s presence. He emphasized that it serves as a tangible reminder of the saint’s holiness and a call to spiritual unity.
The church plans to make the relic accessible for public veneration, with daily masses and open church hours. Father Theodoro mentioned the possibility of displaying the relic in other churches within the archdiocese, emphasizing its broader spiritual importance.
