And for your convenience, here is a link to contact the Curator!
http://www.papalartifacts.com/contact-us/
The Featured Image
These relics were venerated at the altar of the curator on the Feast of All Saints, 2025.
—Father Richard Kunst: “The large reliquary in the center has the full remains of St. Papia which will be place under the altar of St. James the Lesser, Duluth, MN, after Mass on All Saints Day.”
Antique Wooden Reliquary with Wax Seals from the Early 19th CenturyInformation about the Antique Wooden Reliquary with Wax Seals from the Early 19th Century
Father Richard Kunst, Curator
An object completely unique in the collection, this is the full remains of an early Christian martyr of the Roman era, a young girl by the name of St. Papia. Though much is unknown about the object we can glean some information from the inscription on the reliquary box. The inscription, “Sacrum Corpus S. Papiae puellae Mar. No, Prop. De mandato sa: me: Pii PP.VII extract. A Coem. S. Bibian. Ad Ursum Pileatum 1804. 18. Dec.” This inscription roughly translates to, “The holy remains of the young girl, St. Papia, martyr. Extracted by Pope Pius VII from the cemetery of St. Bibiana, at ad Ursum Pileatum, on December 18, 1804.”
ad Ursum Pileatum, (literally meaning “bear with a cap”) was a cemetery outside the Trastevere gate to the harbor (since you couldn’t bury inside the city as long as Roman law was applied). It apparently was in close proximity to a statue of a bear wearing a cap, and hence the name.
ad Ursum Pileatum from ancient times started to be a Christian-used cemetery in 401 AD when Pope St. Anastasius I was buried there and Pope St. Innocent I (417 AD) after him. After this the cemetery became a common burial ground for the martyrs such as the young girl, St. Papia.
Later popes, such as Paschal I (817-824 AD), Surgius II (844-847 AD) and Honorius III (1220 AD) removed the remains of the martyrs from the cemetery. At some point a church was erected at the same location of ad Ursum Pileatum in honor of the early virgin martyr St. Bibiana. This is not to be confused with the more famous church of the same name near the baths of Caracalla in Rome.
The church of St. Bibiana in the Trastevere region became known as the church of 6000 martyrs because of its proximity to such an important and early cemetery. It was already in ruins when Pope Pius VII (1800 – 1823) intervened. It seems that he rescued remains from the catacomb under (or next to) the dilapidated church.
Dimensions of the Reliquary
Height 10cm, Width 19cm, Depth 13cm with 24 ecclesial wax seals and red ribbons sealing the wooden box.
A Prayer of Gratitude to Saint Papia
Saint Papia, we invoke your presence, offering gratitude for the gift of your life to Our Lord & to our church only to become known to us and present to us in 2024!
In Jesus’ Name we offer this prayer of gratitude for you.
Amen
With special thanks to Professor John Adams for his amazing expertise in assisting with the research of this relic of Saint Papia.
Pope Pius VII: Antique Wooden Reliquary with Wax Seals from the Early 19th Century
