The Cathedral of Oviedo hosted on Sunday, December 14, the solemn placement of a reliquary containing relics of several blessed 20th-century martyrs under the main altar. The act took place at the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration of the third Sunday of Advent, presided over by the Archbishop of Oviedo, Mons. Jesús Sanz Montes.
According to the archdiocese itself, relics of the blessed Gregorio Díaz Pérez, Celestino Alonso Villar and Emilio Sainz López, Dominican friars murdered in the Convent of Navegas, in Tineo; as well as of the blessed Juan Alonso, from Oviedo and missionary of the Heart of Mary, martyred in Barbastro, and of the Aller native Juan Alonso, missionary of the Sacred Heart, martyred in El Quiché, Guatemala, were deposited in the reliquary.
Martyrial Memory in the Time of Advent
During the homily, the Archbishop framed this gesture in the liturgical context of Advent, recalling its meaning as a time of interior preparation and Christian waiting in its three dimensions: the memory of Christ’s first coming, the hope of his return at the end of times, and the recognition of his living presence in the midst of God’s people.
In reference to the third Sunday of Advent, Mons. Sanz emphasized the Church’s call to a “truce of joy”, a joy that does not arise from external circumstances, but from a rooted hope and an inner peace sustained by faith.
In evoking the testimony of the martyrs whose relics were placed under the altar, the Archbishop recalled that the Church, bearer of light, truth, and beauty, has been persecuted throughout history and will continue to be so. A fact that, he noted, is an essential part of Christian identity as a “gentle provocation” and “peaceful provocation” in the midst of the world.
Called to Be “Living Reliquaries”
Mons. Jesús Sanz concluded by inviting the faithful to contemplate the reliquary not only as an object of veneration, but as a personal call to become “living reliquaries”, witnesses to the presence of God in everyday life. An exhortation to walk towards Christmas with firm hope, sustained by faith and under the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary.