From Aloysius to Zélie: Woodlands parish opens doors to largest parish reliquary in Archdiocese

A row of relics are seen at Our Lady of the Angels Chapel at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in The Woodlands during a celebration of the saints last year. The parish will again reopen the chapel to visitors on All Saints Day, Nov. 1. (Courtesy photo)THE WOODLANDS — On Nov. 1, the Solemnity of All Saints, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in The Woodlands will open the doors of Our Lady of the Angels Chapel to one of the largest reliquaries in the Archdiocese, with 180 relics, at from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The relics, usually housed in glass cases on the chapel’s walls, will be displayed inside the chapel throughout the day and labeled for visitors to identify and venerate.

With relics from the Holy Family, the 12 Apostles, the first martyrs, Fathers of the Church and many more, the special day is an opportunity to be surrounded with physical objects directly associated with Jesus and the saints, such as bones and other body fragments, their personal belongings or items touched to their bodies or tombs. 

The chapel opened in 2022 with 28 relics during the aftermath of the pandemic and has accumulated over six times the number of relics in less than three years. 

Jerry Trzeciak, director of Kolbe Prison Ministries North and St. Anthony of Padua parishioner, chaired the effort with his wife Jean in August 2019 to raise $7 million to build the chapel. 

Launched in November 2019, the parish raised half of the amount by January 2020, then the pandemic closed everything down in March 2020. With the only building that remained open on the parish campus being the Adoration chapel, contributions to the capital funds dropped to zero. 

“That Friday morning in August 2020, I lay prostrate on the chapel floor and surrendered everything to God and turned it over to Him,” said Trzeciak, who was at his Eucharistic Holy Hour that he has held since 1997.  

Trzeciak said he felt the Lord encouraged him to use the resources he received, and he realized the parish already had seven relics from saints whose intercession he could call upon. 

He also thought of Father Carlos Martins, director of the Treasures of the Church Ministry, whom he decided to call and request a couple more relics from. 

Father Martins told Trzeciak about the parish’s plan to expand the reliquary that if the parish builds it, “they will come” — Father Martins was referring to the relics. He also told Trzeciak it is important that whatever is created allows an intimate relationship with the saints. 

He also emphasized that the relics are not a gift for their parish alone, but they are a gift for the greater Church. 

Father Martins was able to send the parish 20 relics, instead, and then the parish introduced the new saints virtually every week to the congregation, plus the seven they already had. This lasted 27 weeks. The parish raised the remaining $3 to $4 million within the 27 weeks. 
The chapel opened in December 2022, and soon more relics were donated to the reliquary through different individuals and an organization. All the relics were carefully placed inside the new glass shelving towards the front of the chapel. 

In 2024, when the arm of St. Jude, through the Treasures of the Church Ministry, visited the parish, Father Martins was able to see the reliquaries that he and Trzeciak had discussed years prior. 

This led to the parish receiving an additional 100 more relics from the Treasures of the Church ministry and a separate project for the chapel to build more glass shelving in the back of the chapel to house the new relics. 

With the help of donors, the parish opened the back portion of the chapel in June 2025, encasing the new relics.    

“Some of our relics travel to the prisons for Kolbe Prison Retreats, and some relics travel downtown to be used in the diocese’s exorcist ministry,” said Mary Batey, St. Anthony of Padua director of communications. 

The parish also loans out relics to neighboring parishes for their feast day celebrations, Batey said. 

For those interested in visiting the chapel to see or venerate the relics, a directory categorizes the relics in groupings, such as by early Church martyrs, popes, Marian saints, founders of religious orders, and more, to assist with understanding the many relics at the chapel. 

The parish is also hosting an All Saints’ Day Festival on the same day, Nov. 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the piazza and Sheltz Hall. One of the parish’s largest events, the festival features live music, food trucks, saint-themed carnival games, crafts and activities, a vendor market and door prizes and more.

To learn more about the reliquary at the Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, visit www.ap.church/saints.