RELIQUARY, RELIC OF SAINT CATHERINE

Rare bronze reliquary with a glass front containing the relic of Saint Mary Magdalene . The relic is fixed in the center of a richly decorated decoration, decorated with silver threads. It is identified in Latin on a handwritten label as: S.Catharinae VM: (Saint Catherine, Virgin and Martyr.). A red cloth background provides contrast and highlights the relic; this color, omnipresent in the Christian liturgy, symbolizes the blood of Christ and his redemptive sacrifice.

The red wax seal affixed by the Church not only guarantees the authenticity of the relic, but also that the reliquary has not been opened and that the relic has not been handled since it was closed. It thus ensures its intact preservation, providing complete certainty as to its provenance and integrity.

PERIOD : 19th century
DIMENSIONS : 3 cm X 2.5 cm
SIZE : 1.2" X 1"

Saint Catherine of Alexandria was a 4th-century Christian martyr venerated for her intelligence and unwavering faith. The daughter of a noble Egyptian family, she converted to Christianity and challenged pagan philosophers in a debate imposed by Emperor Maxentius. Dazzled by her eloquence, several of them converted. Refusing to renounce her faith, she was sentenced to torture on the wheel, which miraculously broke, before she was finally beheaded. She is the patron saint of students, philosophers, and artisans. Her cult has spread to the West, particularly through pilgrimages to Mount Sinai, where a monastery bears her name. Her feast day is celebrated on November 25 .