St. Clare of Assisi relic visits Cebu

THE renowned relic of St. Clare of Assisi arrived in Cebu yesterday to start its two-month-long pilgrimage in the Philippines.

The first-class relic of the virgin landed at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport at 3 p.m. and was ushered straight to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in a motorcade.

This is the first time that the relic of St. Clare was allowed to leave Rome. The Philippines is its first destination.

The relic was brought to the country by Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Mercedes Tuason, Josie Bantog, Nada Sbutega, Carmeni Montanari and Padre Jess Dajac of the Missionaries of Faith.

At the Cathedral, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma celebrated a Mass for St. Clare at 6 p.m.

In his homily, Palma said that yesterday was a joyful and privileged day to celebrate Ash Wednesday because of the arrival of St. Clare’s relic in the archdiocese of Cebu.

“Her entrance 800 years ago is a celebration of the beginning. Her desire to offer herself totally to God, for us the meaning is if we are to be inspired by Clare, then the season of Lent should also make us remember our beginning,” Palma said.

Palma further said that the Christian’s beginning as well as their end is God. However, right now, Palma said the world already lacks people who feel brotherly or sisterly to others.

“My prayer is that with Clare in our midst, with Pedro Calungsod, we can look at other person and say ‘you are my brother, my sister. I share my prayers with you. I share my hopes with you. I share my desire that one day we will journey towards heaven,” he said.

To end his 20-minute homily, the archbishop called on the devotees to turn away from sins, be humble and admit that all are sinners as they are smeared with ash on their foreheads.

The relic, a bone from the cranium believed to be part of St. Clare’s eye socket, rests in its original wooden box about 24 inches in height. It was exposed for public veneration up to 12 midnight.

The relic will be transported to the Poor Clare Monastery in Tayud, Consolacion today after an 8 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral, which will be celebrated by Msgr. Roberto Alesna. It will stay there for public veneration until February 25.

Report from philSTAR.com