The Touch of Holy Blood

Bruges is a picturesque city of cobblestone streets and pointed brick houses. Its beautiful and romantic canals carve the city. I picked Bruges as one of my destinations for its rich and assorted chocolates, refreshing cherry-flavored beers, and of course, its delicious waffles.

On the train ride to Bruges I read and made a list of possible sites to visit. One of sites on my list was the Basilica of Holy Blood that is tucked away in the upper-right-hand corner of Burg Square. Supposedly, this Catholic Church has a relic of Jesus Christ's blood. I say supposedly because there is no proof that the blood in the sanctuary upstairs is, for a fact, the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood is placed in an ornate, glass vile with gold on either side. The vile was placed on a purple velvet pillow about the size of a notebook.

According to tradition, Derrick of Alsare, Count of Flanders, brought the relic of blood to Bruges after the second crusade in 1150. He received the relic in the Holy Land by his brother-in-law, the King of Jerusalem, for his heroic performance during the crusade. After receiving this gift, Count Derrick and his wife placed the relic in the chapel he had created and built.

The chapel is located in a sanctuary up spiraling, marble stairs that is separate from the church. Before I could even walk in the sanctuary, I was bombarded by a variety of people waiting in live to touch the vile and say a silent prayer. After waiting only five minutes, it was my turn to walk up six, white marble steps to the alter and make a donation. I stood across from a priest as I said my prayer for about twenty seconds before exiting.

The priest standing on the other side of the alter gave reassured me that my message was sent up above. For the past year and a half, I have been searching for a miracle that would heal my aunt of ovarian cancer. So for me, this church meant more to me than a tourist attraction, it was directly linked to my beliefs and affiliation with the Catholic Church. Some members of my traveling group decided not to visit this church because they needed proof or else the blood could have been anybody’s blood. However, I do not need to have proof or documentation to believe in the holiness of the relic. My proof is my faith, and therefore I would never question the credibility of the relic. I found this church to be spiritually moving and I would encourage anyone to visit. Touching Christ’s blood made me feel personally connected to him and unique for having the opportunity to see and touch his blood.

For more information on the Basilica of Holy Blood, you can visit their website at www.holyblood.com