Missionaries of Charity Father Brian Kolodiejchuk said the reliquary chosen for Mother Teresa's relic reflects her life and values.
At every canonisation ceremony, people connected to the new saint carry to the altar a relic - often a bone shard from the new saint's body. The relic presented at the Mass for St. Teresa of Kolkata was a few drops of her blood.
A relic is like a keepsake, a tangible reminder that the new saint was human yet heroically lived a life of holiness. The relic is kept in a reliquary, which often is an ornate work of art in gold or silver.
