Holy icons and relics at St. Ksenia Parish

Sacred Treasures of our Parish

Holy Relics

The bodies of the saints are temples of the Holy Spirit — through them God works miracles and bestows grace upon the faithful.

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What Are Holy Relics?

Holy relics (from Greek λείψανα) are the bodily remains of the saints. The Orthodox Church venerates them not as mere remains, but as bodies in which the Holy Spirit once dwelt, making them temples of God. Through the relics of the saints, the Lord performs miracles and bestows healings upon believers.

The veneration of relics is rooted in the earliest centuries of Christianity. Even the Acts of the Martyrs from the 2nd century record that Christians gathered and preserved the remains of martyrs. Scripture itself points to the grace-filled nature of the remains of the righteous: the bones of the prophet Elisha raised a dead man (2 Kings 13:21).

"God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to Him."
— Luke 20:38

Holy Blessed Ksenia

c. 1730 – c. 1803

Feast: February 6 (Jan 24 O.S.)

Reliquary of St. Ksenia at our parish

✦ Holy Relic Particle

Icon of St. Ksenia of St. Petersburg

with a particle of marble from St. Ksenia's tomb

This precious icon contains an embedded particle of marble taken from the tomb of Holy Blessed Ksenia of St. Petersburg at the Smolensk Cemetery, where she was buried and where miracles continue to be reported to this day. The icon was brought to our parish as a spiritual connection to our patroness and the holy city of her earthly labors. St. Ksenia is our parish patron — come venerate her icon with us each weekend.

☦ Life of St. Ksenia →

Great Martyr Panteleimon

† c. 305 AD

Feast: July 27 (Aug 9 N.S.)

✦ Holy Relic Particle

Icon of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon

with a particle of holy relics

Saint Panteleimon the Great Martyr and Healer was a physician in Nicomedia who, after his conversion to Christianity, healed the sick freely in the name of Jesus Christ. He refused to recant his faith and was martyred around 305 AD. He is one of the Holy Unmercenaries — saints who accepted no payment for their healing ministry. His relics have been distributed throughout the Orthodox world and are venerated at Mount Athos in Greece. A particle of his holy relics is kept in our parish icon.

Holy Hierarch John

1896 – 1966

Feast: June 19 (July 2 N.S.)

✦ Holy Relic Particle

Icon of St. John Maximovitch

Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco, with a particle of holy relics

Holy Hierarch John Maximovitch was one of the most remarkable saints of the 20th century. Born in Russia in 1896, he was known throughout his life for extreme asceticism, fervent prayer, and miraculous healings. As a bishop in Shanghai, then Western Europe, and finally San Francisco, he shepherded thousands of Russian emigrants through hardship and displacement. He is widely known for the gift of prophecy and countless miracles both during his life and after his repose in 1966. He was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in 1994. A particle of his holy relics is enshrined in our parish icon.

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Come Venerate the Relics

The holy icons with relic particles are accessible for veneration at every Saturday Vigil and Sunday Divine Liturgy at our parish in Austin, Texas.

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