THIBODAUX, La. (WGNO) — Stained glass windows, intricate displays of beautifully crafted murals and statues deep rooted in Catholic faith line the nave of St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux.
But, in the corner, enclosed in a wooden container with glass windows for displays is a wax figurine you won’t see anywhere else. It’s the relic of St. Valerie.
St. Valerie dates all the wat back to the second century. She was martyred for burying Christian martyrs and then refusing to sacrifice to Roman Gods. Fast forward to 1868, that’s when her relic arrived in what was then-Thibodauxville and escorted by the Thibodaux Fire Department to the altar of St. Joseph’s Church.
“[They] brought St. Valerie on board one of our apparatus at the time, which was more than likely horse drawn, and they processed around the city – as a parade of respect to display the relic,” said Benton Foret. He’s the on the fire department’s historic committee.
On of May 25, 1916, a fire sparked at the church. Within minutes, it was clear not much could be saved.
That’s when the Thibodaux firemen showcased extraordinary dedication to the saint.
“When it became apparent that the fire department wasn’t going to be able to establish water supply, and that the church more than likely was going to be lost, the firefighters abandoned that effort and made entry into the church with very little protective gear in 1916 and braved the flames and rescued St. Valerie,” Foret explained.
Now, she sits in the church. A full circle moment as the relic is only moved once a year by the firemen of Thibodaux during her procession where she is paraded around the city, just as she was back in the 1860s.
Foret acknowledged, “a lot of the time we have parishoners who join us and we do a procession through the streets, say the rosary, then we come back.”
How fitting for her relic to be here in Louisiana as well. St. Valerie is credited with invoking protection from storms.
“There’s a lot of instances that have occurred over time going back to Hurricane betsy, Katrina and now Ida – things have occurred that are unexplained in this immediate area and a lot of people attribute that to seeking the intercession of St. Valerie.”
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