Shrine of the Holy Relics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Maria Stein Convent
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Road view of the convent complex; the shrine is at far right
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Maria Stein, Ohio |
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| Area | 23 acres (9.3 ha) |
| Built | 1846 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio TR (later addition) |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001490 |
| Added to NRHP | May 6, 1976 |
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The Shrine of the Holy Relics in Maria Stein, Ohio, is a special place. It holds the second largest collection of relics in the United States. This shrine is part of the historic Maria Stein Convent.
What Are Relics?
_-_interior,_The_Relic_Chapel.JPG)
Relics are very old and important items. They can be small pieces of bones from saints. Or, they can be objects that a saint once owned or used. People who follow the Catholic faith respect relics greatly. This is because saints are believed to have lived very good and holy lives.
The Maria Stein Shrine has about 1,100 relics. This makes it the second biggest collection in the U.S. Only Saint Anthony's Chapel in Pittsburgh has more, with about 5,000 relics.
Some famous relics at Maria Stein include:
- A tiny piece of the True Cross, which is believed to be from the cross Jesus died on.
- A small bone piece from Saint Peregrine. He is known as the patron saint for people with cancer.
History of the Shrine
The story of the Maria Stein Shrine began with Father Francis de Sales Brunner. He was a missionary and a leader of the Society of the Precious Blood. Father Brunner started the first collection of relics here.
During the 1800s, more relics were brought to Maria Stein. This was often done to keep them safe from wars and troubles in Italy. In 1892, a special "relic chapel" was built. Here, the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood kept a constant watch over the relics.
The Sacred Heart Relic Chapel is full of bright colors. It has beautiful carvings from Germany, made in the 1700s and 1800s. The relics are displayed all around the chapel. This relic chapel connects to a larger main chapel. This main chapel is the center of the old brick convent.
The Maria Stein Convent was built in 1846. Because of its history and importance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Visiting the Convent
Today, you can visit the Maria Stein Convent. On the second floor, there is a Heritage Museum. This museum shows what life was like for the community in its early days. Even now, many people in southern Mercer County are Catholic. This shows how important the church was when people first moved there in the 1800s.
See also
- Maria Stein Catholic Church and Rectory
