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An exhibition of first-class relics of the recently beatified Ulma family will be in the Archdiocese of New York for the state’s Catholic Youth Day. The exhibit, which is part of the collection at the St. John Paul II National Shrine, will remain in New York from April through the entire month of May, where it will be the central focus of several events, with a handful of weeks allotted for public veneration.
The exhibit, titled “The Good Samaritans of Markowa: The Sacrificial Love of the Ulma Family,” includes a complete history of the beatified Ulmas, as well as first-class relics – meaning actual parts of the bodies of the blesseds.
The display also includes 20 poster panels depicting the Ulma family’s daily life, their Catholic faith, and efforts to protect the Jewish community in their village.
The first-class relics include bone fragments from each member of the Ulma family. The relics are all kept in the same reliquary, which was made to resemble a family tree with depictions of the family cast in gold.
Aleteia previously reported on Pope Francis’ beatification of the entire Ulma family in September 2023 and their history.
See our collection of reports here.
During the Nazi persecution of Jews in WWII, Józef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children were executed on March 24, 1944, along with the Goldmanns, the Jewish family of eight they had been sheltering for a year and a half. The Ulma family’s beatification was the first time the Catholic Church has ever beatified an entire family at once, including an unborn child.
According to the Archdiocese of New York, the relics will first be on display on April 27 and 28, to be venerated at St. Joseph Seminary for New York Catholic Youth Day. This event is only open to those participating in the Youth Day, but the relics will travel to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for a display on May 1 for a Catholic Youth Mass.
From May 7 to 14 the exhibit will appear at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Roman Catholic Church. The archdiocese notes that those interested in visiting the parish during this time should contact them for more information. The final leg of the exhibits tour will be held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, from May 17 to 31, which will also allow for the public to venerate the Ulma family’s relics.
