The Archdiocese of Edmonton will welcome a first-class relic of Pope St. John Paul II this October, offering the faithful an opportunity to pray before a sacred reminder of the saint’s life, suffering, and witness to Christ.
The relic, Ex Sanguine, is a fragment of the blood-stained cassock St. John Paul II was wearing on May 13, 1981, when he was gravely wounded in an assassination attempt in St. Peter’s Square. It was entrusted to the care of Rev. Fr. Lester Evangelista of the Diocese of St. Paul, Alberta, who serves as its permanent custodian. The relic was entrusted to the Church by Stanisław Cardinal Dziwisz, who served for many years as St. John Paul II’s personal secretary.
When the relic is not scheduled for public veneration or pilgrimage, it remains in the parishes entrusted to its custodian. Over the past two years, it has been brought for public veneration to parishes in the Diocese of St. Paul and the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan. Following its visit to Edmonton, plans are underway for a visit to the Diocese of Saskatoon, once the necessary logistics and approvals are finalized. Invitations have also been received from parishes and communities in the Diocese of Calgary.
The relic will continue to travel to parishes and dioceses that wish to welcome it for public veneration, prayer, and devotion to Pope St. John Paul II.
Schedule of the Relic Visit
- Saturday, October 10 – Our Lady Queen of Poland, with Fr. Maciej, OMI
- Sunday, October 11 – Our Lady Queen of Poland: Mass and veneration
- Friday, October 16 – Holy Rosary Parish: 7 p.m. Mass and veneration
- Saturday, October 17 – St. Dominic Savio Parish: 5 p.m. Mass and veneration
- Sunday, October 18 – Resurrection Parish, CYEG: 4 p.m. Mass and veneration
The pilgrimage will conclude on October 22, the feast of Pope St. John Paul II. A Mass and opportunity for veneration will be held at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Basilica, with Archbishop Stephen Hero.
For the faithful, this pilgrimage is an opportunity not only to honour a beloved saint, but also to reflect on his witness of courage, mercy, and trust in God amid suffering.
St. John Paul II’s enduring exhortation, “Be not afraid,” continues to invite us to place our lives in the hands of Christ. During the relic’s visit, the faithful are encouraged to entrust themselves to the Merciful Heart of Jesus and to the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking for the grace to follow Christ with the same courage and trust that marked the life of St. John Paul II.
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