Catholic Relics of St. Bernadette Arrive in Florida in November

A first-class relic of St. Bernadette is displayed in Sacred Heart Church in Lourdes, France, where thousands of pilgrims visit annually to venerate the saint. Relics connected to St. Bernadette departed Lourdes in September as part of a U.S. tour, traveling coast-to-coast. The relics are scheduled to arrive in Florida in November.

The relics will make a stop in St. Augustine, Florida, the birthplace of Catholicism in America. Toni Pallatto, U.S. representative for the Sanctuary of Notre Dame de Lourdes in France, announced that the relics will enter Florida on November 27, 28, and 29. Pallatto, based in Fort Lauderdale, coordinates the year-long relic tour, which is currently moving through the northeastern United States and will continue southward.

The tour will include stops at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche in St. Augustine before proceeding to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Kendall. Pallatto noted that the exact dates for these stops are still being finalized.

The relic tour began on September 18 in Washington, D.C., at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, designated the nation’s primary Marian shrine by the U.S. bishops. A Mass of Celebration was part of the opening ceremonies, with Cardinal Robert Walter McElroy, shepherd of the Archdiocese of Washington, serving as the main celebrant.

The tour aims to bring the veneration of St. Bernadette to various locations across the United States, offering Catholics an opportunity to connect with the saint’s legacy. The relics will continue their journey, visiting different cities and communities as part of the year-long event.

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