The small town of São Simão, in the interior of São Paulo, received a gift that promises to draw Catholic faithful from across the state. We are talking about the relic of St. John Paul II: a first-class fragment sent directly from Krakow, Poland, following special authorization from the Vatican.
The arrival of the reliquary put the town of just 13,000 residents on the religious tourism map of São Paulo and even Brazil, given that few parishes in the world hold relics of this saint.
The journey of the relic of St. John Paul II to the interior of São Paulo
For the Catholic Church, relics are a visible symbol of faith and the memory of the saints. They are divided into three categories: fragments of the body ( first class), objects of devotion for personal use (second class), and objects that touched the body or the tomb of the saint ( third class).
In the case of São Simão, the faithful can now visit a relic ex sanguine ( of the blood) of the Pope. It is on display for veneration at the Mother Church of St. Simon the Apostle, in the metropolitan region of Ribeirão Preto.
The arrival of the fragment was the result of an initiative by Father Carlos Alberto Batistini, a native of the town, with the support of Archbishop Dom Moacir Silva. Both sent a formal request to Vatican authorities, who authorized the shipment of the reliquary to the city in São Paulo.
A new destination in São Paulo’s religious tourism
In an interview with G1, Father Wagner Gleyson Theodoro, currently in charge of the parish of São Simão, states that “the relic of St. John Paul II (…) is not a magical object, but a concrete sign of the incarnation of holiness.”
Starting this Tuesday, the 19th, the reliquary will be available for visits by the faithful during the week. The parish priest anticipates that this development will transform São Simão into a pilgrimage hub, alongside major religious destinations in the state, such as Aparecida.
