The eleven “Martyrs of Damascus” will be declared saints on 20 October in Rome. For this solemn occasion, a gem of faith and art will enter St Peter’s Square, a reliquary which holds a relic of the martyrs, killed out of hatred of the faith in Damascus in 1860. This work of art was made in Bethlehem in 1926 and was already used for the ceremony of beatification in the same year and donated to the Vatican.

Art and spirituality

The reliquary is a genuine gem in white and pale blue mother-of-pearl, with a load-bearing structure in wood, made in Bethlehem by Yousef Zoughbi, one of the most skilful mother-of-pearl craftsmen in the city. The name of the artist appears in the inscription at the base of the reliquary. The talent and the experience of the Palestinian craftsman have created a work which encloses in it both beauty and spirituality.

The piece is in the shape of a small temple. It is made up of four pilasters surmounted by as many arches which support a dome. At the base of the dome there is the inscription in Latin “TU ES PETRUS ET SUPER HANC PETRAM AEDIFICABO ECCELSIAM MEAM”, a tribute to Pope Pius XI who beatified the martyrs. Numerous decorations adorn the work. Made with meticulous accuracy, they recall the most important places in the Holy Land and the mysteries of the Christian faith.

A work of art that speaks to the heart

Every detail of the reliquary is full of meaning. The columns, the arches, the dome and the sculptures: they all contribute to creating an atmosphere of sacredness and beauty. The inscriptions in Latin, the representations of St Peter and St Paul, the monogram of Christ and Mary are all elements that speak of faith, hope and love.

Precious details of the reliquary

The inside of the temple contains the case of the relics conceived as a monstrance displayed on the altar. The latter has on its front a panel showing the basilica of St Peter, whereas the nativity and the resurrection are shown at the sides of the altar. The monstrance, an oval-shaped sunburst, us surrounded by praying angels. From the bottom, four decorative motifs can be recognized; a heraldic shield with the Sacred Heart, a seraphim, the dove of the Holy Spirit and, to conclude, the Cross.

A tribute to the Holy Father

The reliquary will be presented to Pope Francis on the canonization of the martyrs of Damascus. During the ceremony of canonization it will be placed next to the papal altar, to receive the homage of incense, candles and flowers, a sign of the cult that the Church recognizes to them, including them in the Catalogue of Saints.