As many of you know, we had an excellent conference at Downside and Carolyn
is to be congratulated on the organisation. I hope she finds the
opportunity to organise another one!
While at Downside, I wandered into a chapel to say evening prayer, and found
a glass case containing a pile of bones, with a skull on the top - pretty
much a whole skeleton. A card beside the case identified the bones as the
relics of St Justin Martyr, which, it said, were being temporarily stored
there. It was not entirely clear whether they were being stored in this
chapel, as opposed to the relics cupboard, or in Downside, as opposed to
wherever they usually reside.
Justin Martyr is of course a very major saint of the second century AD and
the acquisition of his relics would be a great coup for any church.
I asked several of the monks how they came to have these relics and the
answer was "I didn't even know we had them!" Such is the way of the monk.
I was advised to consult Fr Boniface, but never succeeded in running him to
earth.
Does anyone know where the relics of Justin Martyr are supposed to reside,
when not on vacation in the gallery chapel at Downside? Can the
ever-knowledgeable Fr Anselm help us on this one?
Is there any chance of a "Relics Roadshow" when we ask churches and
religious houses to get the skeletons out of their cupboards and bring them
along for an assessment?
The Supple Doctor.
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