By Stephen Williams, The Daily Gazette
An online fundraiser is underway to help supporters of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha acquire a rare relic and return it to the Roman Catholic Church.
Saint Kateri was born in the 17th century in what is now the town of Glen and grew up in what is now Fonda, and there are two shrines to her in Montgomery County.
As of late Sunday, a GoFundMe.com campaign called “Rescue Saint Kateri Reliquary” had raised $2,814 toward the goal of $3,675 to buy the reliquary.
The new owner of the reliquary is willing to sell it at no profit, fundraiser organizers said, if it will be returned to religious use. The fundraising campaign is under the auspices of the Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Conservation Center of Wading River, Long Island, which would be the purchaser.
The 4-inch bone fragment is believed to be the only St. Kateri relic of its kind. It went up for auction recently in Montreal, and was purchased by someone who recognized its significance but now wishes to remain anonymous.
Church law forbids buying and selling holy relics, but does not prohibit the purchase of reliquaries, the boxes that contain relics, if the reliquary will be protected or used for religious purposes.
Documents published on the GoFundMe.com page appear to provide support for the relic’s authenticity. They include a handwritten statement by the archbishop of Montreal written in 1893, identifying it as genuine.