Question from Marie on 9/21/2007:

Is there a central source that you could recommend for Catholics to obtain authentic relics of saints?

Answer by Catholic Answers on 9/24/2007:

Marie--

I do not know of a central distributor of relics. To obtain a genuine relic of a particular saint, you might write to the headquarters of the order to which the saint belonged (if the saint was a consecrated religious), or to the diocese of the locality in which the saint died (for non-religious saints), or to the postulator of a cause that is currently under investigation (for a non-canonized holy person).

You should be aware though that some authorities are leery of the practice of private ownership of relics, probably because of the abuses of the practice that have occurred in the Church's history. Although you may find some authorities who are amenable to helping you obtain a relic, others may discourage you from it. At this point, you will have to use your own prudential judgment to determine whether or not you should own a relic. So far as I can determine, the Church has not yet given an official ruling against lay Catholics doing so.

Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers