Ancient Relic of Saint Discovered by Dublin Schoolboys

Dublin, 27 May 2025: A relic of a saint, believed to date back to the second or third century, was discovered in a secondary school in north Dublin.

RTÉ reported that a group of students found the relic—a vial of blood from Saint Hilarii—while assisting the school in preparations for a graduation ceremony last week. The discovery was made by fifth-year students at St Vincent’s Secondary School in Glasnevin, Dublin, as they moved the school’s altar from one room to the hall. The structure was tilted upwards to be carried along an alternative route.

A Hidden Treasure in the Altar

While taking the altar down the stairs, the five boys—Colin Sheridan, Conor Brogan Carr, Munasar Omar, Jonathan Taite, and Ethan Byrne—were under the supervision of school caretaker Dermot Swords. Ethan Byrne noticed that the altar had a false bottom which appeared to shift.

"One of the lads noticed something inside of it and we just thought it was wood," said Conor Brogan Carr. "But it was kind of darker, and then it fell through."

The group brought the item, wrapped in paper, to the principal’s office. The parcel had a handwritten label in Latin, which the staff translated, indicating that it contained a relic from a saint.

"The school has just been buzzing the past couple of days, everyone's been really excited to find out what it is," said Colin.

 Experts Step In to Investigate

Principal Máire Quinn contacted the National Museum, Glasnevin Cemetery staff, and the archives of the Edmund Rice Trust to seek guidance on the next steps. As indications pointed to the relic’s authenticity, the school asked Fr. William Purcell, a Catholic Church expert in the area, to examine the find. The principal carefully unwrapped the paper, ensuring the note was preserved, and opened the wooden box.

“Wow. I'm really excited about this because I can already see the wax seal, and the authenticity of a relic is the wax seal," said Fr. Purcell before opening the box.

 Sealed and Certified

Inside the wooden box was an ornate container in green and red, sealed with red wax and topped with an envelope. Inside the envelope was a printed certificate bearing a stamp in the lower left corner and the words: “Reverend John Augustine Grace, authentication of the body of St. Hilary martyr, 1878 from Rome.”

"This is the guaranteed proof with the wax seals, that this is a first-class genuine relic of the martyr Hilarii," said Fr. Purcell. Upon closer examination, a vial of blood was visible through a window in the container. Before proceeding further, Fr. Purcell asked the group whether the box should be opened or left sealed. The principal chose to leave the box sealed, saying she did not feel it necessary to inspect the contents further.

"It's been incredibly exciting over the last few days," said Ms. Quinn. "It feels like we've been given a puzzle and we've spent the last few days just trying to figure it all out."

"I have to be honest, because it was sixth year graduation there was a part of me that thought 'Is this a prank?'" she added.

"There's still more to find out because you know, why was that specific martyr picked for this particular school. So there's definitely more to uncover."

 A Saint from the Shadows

The Edmund Rice Trust stated that the altar arrived at St. Vincent’s over thirty years ago, and no one had known it contained a relic. Fr. Purcell explained that although all altars are traditionally believed to contain relics, many lack the evidence needed to prove their authenticity, and finding one in a school is rare.

Fr. Purcell believes the relic dates back to the second or third century. He said the vial of blood was taken from the Roman catacombs and sent to Dublin in 1700 at the request of the Christian Brothers, who attempted to authenticate it in the early 1900s.

"There is very little known about him," said Fr. Purcell. "All we know is that he is a pre-congregation saint. Pre-congregation saint means that he was declared a saint before the Congregation of Saints was established.”

"So the people acclaimed him, which was very beautiful, because it was the people who saw in the life of this person, and saw in his death that he was a man who gave his life for Christ, and in doing so, then they acclaimed him as a martyr and a saint."

The school has informed the Diocese of Dublin about the discovery and intends to notify the Vatican next.

Source: RTE News

Image credit: RTE News