My Journey

Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics

Maria Stein receives a great company of relics as witnesses to Christ, not curiosities detached from the Church's prayer.

Location
Maria Stein, Ohio, United States
40.4161° N · 84.4754° W
Type
Relic shrine and living Catholic pilgrimage center
Dedication
Communion of saints, the Passion of Christ, and Eucharistic prayer
Time Needed
2 hours to half a day
01 · Why Go

Enter the Communion of Saints

Come to venerate the relics as bodily signs that holiness was lived in real places, through real suffering, and by grace in human lives. The number is extraordinary, but counting is not the pilgrimage. Begin with Christ, especially the relic of the True Cross, then choose a few saints whose witness meets the needs of the Church and your own vocation. Carry that communion into Mass or Eucharistic adoration rather than treating the chapel as a cabinet of sacred objects.

Maria Stein's identity is larger than the collection. The shrine grew from the Sisters of the Precious Blood, sustained perpetual adoration, and remains a place of worship, prayer, hospitality, heritage, and formation under lay stewardship.

Relics Preserved for an Ohio Mission

Father Francis de Sales Brunner and later Father J. M. Gartner gathered relics in nineteenth-century Europe and brought them into the Precious Blood communities of Ohio. Maria Stein received the principal collection and was recognized as the Shrine of the Holy Relics in 1875. A dedicated Relic Chapel was established in 1892. The Sisters of the Precious Blood guarded the shrine and sustained its prayer for generations. In 2017 the sisters entrusted the shrine's stewardship to a lay nonprofit so its Catholic mission could continue.

The Relic Chapel's carved Gothic cases, altar, statues, stained glass, and votive lamps form a dense devotional room. Read it from the Cross outward. The wider historic convent complex includes the Adoration Chapel, heritage spaces, and grounds that reveal the shrine's Precious Blood roots.

Shrine identity established in 1875

Relic Chapel established in 1892

Precious Blood Sisters and perpetual-adoration heritage

Lay stewardship since 2017

02 · Spiritual Significance

Spiritual Significance

Relics are honored because the saints belong to Christ and remain members of his Body. They are not magical objects, trophies, or proof substitutes. Veneration passes to the persons whose holy lives point toward God.

  • The Cross as the chapel's organizing center
  • The relationship between relics, altar, and votive prayer
  • The Precious Blood Sisters' history in the wider complex
03 · Do Not Miss

Do Not Miss

3 Stops
  • 01

    The True Cross relic

    Begin with the Passion of Christ before moving through the saints' reliquaries.

  • 02

    The central reliquary ensemble

    Choose a few witnesses and read their names slowly rather than trying to count the room.

  • 03

    Eucharistic adoration

    When scheduled, let adoration keep every relic ordered toward Christ.

04 · Visit Plans

Visit Plans

2 plans
  • 2 Hours

    Relic Chapel, Adoration Chapel, and quiet prayer.

  • Half Day

    Mass or adoration, Relic Chapel, heritage spaces, grounds, and a self-guided or arranged tour.

Begin with Christ's Passion, choose a few saints rather than counting relics, and complete the visit before the Eucharist when possible.

05 · How to Visit

How to Visit

A practical sequence
  • Cross

    Begin with the Lord's Passion and the True Cross relic.

  • Saints

    Choose a few named saints and pray for concrete needs in the Church.

  • Eucharist

    Join Mass or adoration when the schedule allows.

  • Heritage

    Read the wider shrine through the Sisters of the Precious Blood and the history of the local Catholic settlements.

See all 4 · 1 more
  • Heritage Read the wider shrine through the Sisters of the Precious Blood and the history of the local Catholic settlements.
06 · Current Practical Information

Chapel, Worship, Tours, and Campus Hours Differ

Reviewed August 25, 2026 Official sources

The shrine publishes current opening, Mass, confession, adoration, tour, museum, shop, and event information. Confirm the exact date before travel.

Address
2291 St. Johns Road
Relics
More than 1,200 according to the shrine's official Relic Chapel page
Groups
Guided tours and group visits require advance coordination
Check the live liturgical rhythm

Mass, confession, and Eucharistic adoration occur at specific published times.

  • Do not infer sacramental availability from the building's general open hours.
Additional schedule notes

Relic and Campus Visit

Arrange groups ahead

The shrine offers tours of the Relic Chapel, Adoration Chapel, heritage spaces, and grounds.

  • Self-guided and guided access can differ by day and event.
07 · Relics, Tombs, Sacred Objects

The Cross at the Center of a Great Company of Witnesses

Passion relic

Relic of the True Cross

Venerated as a relic of the Lord's Passion within Catholic prayer.

Documented

The shrine publicly identifies a True Cross relic; this record documents custody and devotion without independently proving the fragment's ancient chain of origin.

Maria Stein Shrine Relic Chapel

Saint relic collection

Collection of more than 1,200 relics

Approach through the communion of saints rather than as a complete catalog challenge.

Documented

The shrine's official Relic Chapel page states the collection's scale and class distribution.

Maria Stein Shrine Relic Chapel

Source note Traditional attributions are presented as tradition, with documentation named where it exists.

08 · Map

Map

Maria Stein, Ohio, United States
Editorial sources

Official church sources.

Official

mariasteinshrine.org

Last reviewed

August 25, 2026

Photo credits
  1. Hero. Shrine of the Holy Relics (Maria Stein, Ohio) - interior, The Relic Chapel. Nheyob, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Source. CC BY-SA 3.0.
  2. Cross the Threshold in Prayer. Shrine of the Holy Relics (Maria Stein, Ohio) - exterior, entrance to the Relic Chapel. Nheyob, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Source. CC BY-SA 3.0.