Relics of Saint Valentine have been distributed widely through Europe The reliquary in Dublin’s Carmelite church on Whitefriar Street have had an astonishingly low profile through most of their semester:
- Whitefriar Street, Dublin: In 1835, Irish Carmelite John Spratt gained fame as a preacher in Rome, attracting attention from the elite, including Pope Gregory XVI, who gifted him the relics of Saint Valentine. The reliquary containing some of Saint Valentine’s remains and “a small vessel tinged with his blood”, arrived in Dublin on November 10, 1836, and was received with a solemn procession at Whitefriar Street Church by Archbishop Murray. After Father Spratt’s death, interest in the relics diminished, and they were stored until the 1950s/60s when a renovation led to the creation of an altar and shrine to house them prominently. Saint Valentine is also a patron saint of epilepsy and beekeepers
- Cosmedin, Rome: Rome is traditionally considered the burial place of Saint Valentine, a priest who was martyred on February 14 in AD 269. His remains are housed in the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Relics were kept in the Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome, which became an important pilgrim site until transferred to the church of Santa Prassede. Pope Francis, in his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, calls on couples to look beyond the commercialization of Valentine’s Day, urging them to grasp the true essence of romantic love and the life of St. Valentine.
- Terni, Italy: Terni, the birthplace of Saint Valentine, is often referred to as the “City of Valentine.” A basilica dedicated to him stands in the town. The highlight for many visiting couples is the special blessing at the Basilica of St. Valentine, a tradition rooted in the saint’s own acts of blessing Christian unions.
- Balzan, Malta: Relics of Saint Valentine are also venerated in Balzan, a town in Malta, indicating the saint’s influence across Mediterranean regions.
- Birmingham, England: A gold reliquary bearing the inscription “Corpus St. Valentin, M” (Body of St. Valentine, Martyr) is located in the Birmingham Oratory, positioned on one of the side altars within the main church.
- Chełmno, Poland: A silver reliquary containing a fragment of Saint Valentine’s skull is located in the Parish Church of St. Mary’s Assumption, which has been a site of pilgrimage for those honoring the saint.
- Glasgow, Scotland: The Blessed John Duns Scotus Church in the Gorbals area of Glasgow houses relics of Saint Valentine, ensuring his continued recognition in the Scottish Catholic community.
- Košice, Slovakia: In Košice, a relic of Saint Valentine is located in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, which has housed this relic since 1720.
- Madrid, Spain: Madrid hosts a chapel known as the Chapel of San Valentín, where offerings are made in honor of the saint. The significance of this location centers around the cultural practices of celebrating love and courtship in Spain, especially on Valentine’s Day.
- Mytilene, Greece: On the Greek island of Lesbos, relics of Saint Valentine are housed, reflecting the saint’s widespread veneration across Europe.
- Nováky, Slovakia: The relic in Nováky was originally in the Church of St. Nicholas along with a rare statue of Saint Valentine. The statue was stolen in the 1990s, but a new copy of the original has been placed in the church, with the relic being part of local veneration.
- Paris, France: Paris, often known as the “City of Love,” features a small chapel but popular chapel dedicated to Saint Valentine in the 12th arrondissement.
- Prague, Czech Republic: A relic of Saint Valentine was found in 2003 at the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul at Vyšehrad, a historic fort and cemetery that overlooks the city.
- Roquemaure, France: Alleged relics of Saint Valentine can also be found in a reliquary at Roquemaure, situated in Gard, France, contributing to the saint’s presence in Catholic tradition.
- Savona, Italy: The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Savona contains a set of relics associated with Saint Valentine, showcasing the church’s role in the promotion of Christian saints and their relics.
- Vienna, Austria: In St. Stephen’s Cathedral, a revered site in the heart of Vienna, relics of Saint Valentine are part of the cathedral’s extensive collection of sacred artifacts.
