Antique Catholic Relic Reliquary -  Mother Marie-Leonie Paradis - 1840 - 1912.  

A beautiful antique relic of a very important and impactful Nun. A first class relic of bone or skin. The Vatican red seal is applied to the back of the relic and is undisturbed. The relic will come with the small celluloid statue seen in the images. 

Mother Marie-Léonie Paradis, born Élodie Paradis on May 12, 1840, in L’Acadie, Quebec, was a French-Canadian Catholic religious sister who founded the Little Sisters of the Holy Family in 1880.  She dedicated her life to supporting priests through domestic and educational service, particularly for poor and uneducated young women. 

She entered the Marianites of Holy Cross at age 14 and taught in Montreal, New York, and Indiana before moving to Memramcook, New Brunswick, where she began her mission. After years of perseverance, the congregation received official diocesan approval in 1896 under Bishop Paul LaRocque of Sherbrooke, and the community relocated to Quebec. 

Beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 11, 1984, in Montreal, and canonized by Pope Francis on October 20, 2024, in St.  Peter’s Square, Vatican City, she became the third Canadian-born saint, following Saints Marie-Marguerite d'Youville and André Bessette. 

Her feast day is celebrated on May 4.  She is remembered for her unwavering faith, compassion, and the profound impact of her congregation, which now operates over 200 institutions across Canada, the United States, Latin America, and Europe