Embodying the Sacred

Veneration of the Saints is a central aspect of Roman Catholic tradition dating back to the early Middle Ages and the establishment of monasteries across Europe. Relics, containing small fragments of the bones of saints or objects touched by the saints, served as physical remnants of holy figures and their sacred narratives, and played a significant role in consecrating cathedrals, churches, and shrines, as well as in personal devotions. Embodying aspects of divinity on a human scale, stories of the Saints and their deeds have historically inspired pilgrimages, devotional practices, and healing traditions in communities throughout the world. These religious and cultural expressions continue to flourish in the present day in official settings among Roman Catholics as well as in folk-cultural traditions in diverse religious and cultural communities. For Pennsylvania Germans, among whom Roman Catholics historically comprised less than 1%, echoes of the veneration of the saints influenced folk-cultural expressions outside of the official context of church, including agricultural calendars, healing traditions, and protective rituals practiced in everyday life. This exhibition features a collection of European reliquaries and images of the saints collected by Dr. Don Yoder, whose research in folk religion identified parallels between Roman Catholic practices and Pennsylvania folklife.