Plenary indulgence attached to veneration; archbishop to celebrate Mass at Assumption Grotto Sept. 15
DETROIT — The visit this month of a major relic of a 12th-century Portuguese saint has special significance for two local religious communities.
St. Theotonius (1082-1162) was not only Portugal’s first saint, but was co-founder of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross, and both the Canons Regular and their related women’s congregation, the Sisters of the Holy Cross, have houses in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
The relic is coming Sept. 13-16 to Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Grotto) Parish in northeast Detroit. The sisters are the current occupants of the parish’s convent, and the Canons Regular, who have their house in Grosse Pointe, help out at the parish.
But for all the significance St. Theotonius has for the Portuguese people and for the two religious orders, he should be known more widely to the Catholic faithful, says Fr. Wolfgang Seitz, ORC.
St. Theotonius “is a model of life — of how you can develop a life in intimate union with God,” said Fr. Seitz, superior of the local community.
And the saint’s devotion to meditation on the Passion of our Lord fits well with the teachings of a much more recent saint — St. Faustina Kowalska of the Divine Mercy devotions.
The relic’s arrival comes during the Year of St. Theotonius, which began Feb. 12 and will run through Feb. 18, 2013. The Apostolic Penitentiary has granted a plenary indulgence to those who — while also meeting the other requirements for an indulgence — “take part in a sacred function or pious exercise in honor of St. Theotonius” either in chapels of the Order of the Holy Cross or in such other sacred places as may be designated by local ordinaries.
Archbishop Allen Vigneron, who will be celebrating Mass at Assumption Grotto on Sept. 15 during the relic’s visit, has designated the church as such a place.
During his life, St. Theotonius was known for his humility and piety. Never seeking honors for himself, he was nevertheless thrust into leadership roles in the Church and later in the order he co-founded.
His counsel was sought by Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques (ruled 1139-85), and he would not hesitate to reprove the king or queen if he thought them in the wrong. His two pilgrimages to the Holy Land resulted in both his devotion to meditation on the Passion and his intention to found a religious order following the Augustinian Rule. Such was his reputation and the claims of benefits received through his intercession that St. Theotonius was canonized within a year of his death.
The Canons Regular of the Holy Cross and its related women’s order remained an important part of the life of the Portuguese Church until an anti-Church government came to power in 1834. The regime suppressed all religious orders and confiscated Church property.
Today’s religious congregations are revivals dating from the late 20th century. They grew out of the Opus Sanctorum Angelorum, a group devoted to promoting an understanding of the work of the holy angels. When some members wished to form a religious congregation, their bishop suggested they revive a defunct order that had a similar spirituality.
Since their re-founding in 1979, the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross have grown to about 130 members in eight countries, including the five members here. From their Grosse Pointe base, the Canons Regular travel throughout the country preaching retreats.
Six Holy Cross sisters form the women’s community at Assumption Grotto.
More information about the Order of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross is available at www.cruzios.org.
