“Teaching true and proper devotion to the Saints is an important element of our Catholic Faith. As models and intercessors, the Saints are our benefactors, aiding us with the example of their lives and by their prayers, something that Fr. Martins has worked hard to instill in every Catholic.”
Father Carlos Martins, CC, is to be commended for the Treasures of the Church evangelization apostolate. It is my hope that many parishes will have the opportunity to host the exposition of the Treasures of the Church for the spiritual enrichment of their faithful.
Ready to host an Exposition?
Read Our Requirements for Hosting.
Please note that all expositions to be held in a parish church require the pastor’s authorization. Please obtain this before making your request. For a school, authorization is required from the principal. For a prison, authorization is required from the warden.
The following provides the details relevant to hosting an exposition:
General Overview
Approximately 150 relics will be exposed for veneration, including those of St. Maria Goretti, St. Therese of Lisieux (the “Little Flower”), St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Faustina Kowalska. The supreme highlight is one of the largest certified relics of the True Cross in the world and a piece of the veil of Our Lady. A complete list of these is available in the “Downloads” section of this website (“List of the Saints on Display at the Treasures of the Church Exposition”).
Fr. Martins begins each exposition with a presentation and teaching on relics which provides the catechetical and spiritual basis for the Walk with the Saints that follows the presentation. The point of the teaching is to present the basic Gospel message: that God is here right now and wants to be encountered; He touches us through the lives and the sacred remains of His Saints. God never disappoints … he always “shows up”. There are healings at every exposition. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands, have been reported back to this ministry. Spectacular ones. There have been instances of cancer, heart disease, tumors, osteoporosis, physical deformities, etc., disappear immediately and completely. Though a great number of miracles have been physical (the Healings tab above lists a sample of these), the most spectacular are the healing of faith where a new and deeper relationship with God and His Saints are formed in the faithful. It is a most wonderful thing to see a parish, school, or prison renewed after an exposition.
Cost:
There is no cost for hosting an exposition. This is to allow all parishes–even poor ones–the opportunity to host an exposition. There is also no collection taken at an exposition. The only financial commitments for which a parish would be obligated are 1) to allow free will baskets at the exposition for those who desire to make a donation; and, 2) to not have any simultaneous collections or fundraising occurring during an exposition.
Contact Person:
An email address and cell phone number would have to be provided for the local parish contact.
Advertising Resources:
Treasures of the Church provides everything that the parish would need to advertise (posters, flyers, bulletin information). Parishes must commit to publicizing the exposition in their bulletins and web pages. In addition, they must commit to informing neighboring parishes of the exposition and requesting advertising in their bulletins.
Spacing, Material, and Equipment Requirements:
The following is a list of things the parish would need to provide on the date of the exposition.
- The parish hall or school gym (i.e., the parish’s largest facility) must be available as the location for the display of relics. This is the largest traveling relic exhibit in the world and requires significant space. In addition, the church must be available as the location for the talk and teaching. The purpose of spatially separating these two components is to allow as much free space in the hall for the veneration as possible (i.e., without space taken up by large numbers of chairs).
- Two extension cords (set-up in the church).
- A small table on which to put a digital projector and computer (set-up in the church).
- 20 CLEAN tables; either 6 or 8 feet in length are fine; round tables will not work, unfortunately; tablecloths are provided by Treasures of the Church (set-up in the hall).
- Two volunteers to help set up at the start of the day and takedown at the end of the day (please, NO MORE than two).
Media:
Parishes are encouraged to inform the media (local TV and newspapers, diocesan news, Catholic radio, etc.) of their exposition and to request coverage of the event. Fr. Martins will gladly grant any requests for interviews.
Lodging:
Fr. Martins would require accommodation in the parish rectory for the night of the exposition. If a room is not available the parish would need to provide a hotel room.
