Conservation is often only half of the treatment plan for many items at The Center. After conservation is complete, our Custom Framing and Fabrication Department is continually called upon to design and construct one-of-a-kind display options for unusual objects. Proper custom displays should enhance and protect the artwork, as seen with the Relics from Loyola University. We recently shared their conservation story, before and after images of their treatment, and the relics housed in their custom frames for display at Loyola University. This new video showcases the complex and precise work our Custom Framing and Fabrication team performed to produce a unique display option for the Relic containing a piece of the True Cross of Christ.
“Madonna della Strada Chapel at Loyola University Chicago received the donation of five relics from the Kerwin daughters whose parents Mary and Charles C. Kerwin have a long association with Loyola University and the Archdiocese of Chicago. The relics are from Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Saint Clare of Assisi, and a piece of the True Cross of Christ. These items are special connections for the faithful of our community and serves as reminders of heroic people for whom we can model our lives on. The Kerwin daughters were extremely generous in that their donation included the conservation of the relics so that they can be viewed and prayed with by our community.”
This quote, shared by Steven Betancourt, Assistant Director of Campus Ministry and Director of Liturgical Music for Madonna della Strada Chapel at Loyola University, speaks to the importance and reverence for these five relics. The Conservation Center is honored to have been selected to conserve and frame these items. Upon arrival at The Center, the five relics underwent careful examination to ensure that each received the proper care and treatment necessary and determine the best possible display options.
Relic of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, front
Relic of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, back
The relic of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini is a laminated photograph with stitched edges and a threaded loop. On the verso, there is a label that reads "St. F.X. Cabrini Relic." Minor abrasions were noted on the surface, but the piece was in otherwise stable condition. Minimal treatment was conducted, and the conservator surface cleaned the relic using the appropriate conservation methods and materials.
Relics of Saint Francis of Assisi, and Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, front
Relics of Saint Francis of Assisi, and Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, back
The Saint Francis of Assisi relic is mounted on fabric in a brass pendant. The pendant is wax sealed on the verso. The pendant surface has oxidized and exhibited moderate corrosion, with minimal grime on the glazing. The relic of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha is mounted on a paper substrate and encased in a metal pendant. The pendant surface exhibited minimal oxidation and accretions, and minimal grime was noted on the glazing.
For both relics, the conservators removed the mounted relics from the pendants, but due to the fragility of the mounted items, they were not otherwise treated. The glazing was surface cleaned, and the pendants were polished and rinsed with deionized water. After the cleaning of the pendants was complete, the relics were carefully fit back into the pendants.
Relic of Saint Clare of Assisi, front
Relic of Saint Clare of Assisi, back
The relic of Saint Clare of Assisi is composed of a laminated print with stitched edges, and the relic is encased on the verso. There is an inscription on the verso that reads, "Dust from the coffin of St. Claire of Assisi". Minor abrasions and slight yellowing were noted on the surface, but the piece was in otherwise stable condition. Minimal treatment was conducted, and the conservator surface cleaned the relic using the appropriate conservation methods and materials.
Relic containing a piece of the True Cross of Christ
The last of the five relics contains a piece of the True Cross of Christ, encased in a bronze cross pendant. The pendant has a removable screw at the base that allows the pendant to open on a hinge at the top. The relic is housed behind glazing with a wax seal on the verso of the cross pendant. The pendant was held in a velvet-lined leather box with gilding.
The surface of the metal exhibited minimal oxidation, and a small fragment of the relic is loose in the encasement. However, because of the wax seal, the surface of the pendant cannot be polished as the relic cannot be safely removed. As a result, the conservators took a conservative approach and surface cleaned the pendant using mechanical techniques.
With treatment complete, each relic was ready for housing. A custom plaque with informational text was fabricated for each relic, and custom mounts were designed to display the relics and plaques in separate openings in the top mats.
Relic of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, after treament and framing
Relics of Saint Francis of Assisi, after treatment and framing
The relics and plaques were assembled with a 4-ply linen-wrapped matboard over a Dibond backing. The relics and plaques were floated with a 4-ply linen-wrapped step mat with 2" margins, a 3/16" reveal, and linen walls. The frames were assembled in the selected frames with Optium Museum Acrylic, a conservation grade, anti-reflective, anti-static acrylic glazing that protects against UV light rays best suited to protect the relics. The frames were finished with an acid-free coroplast backing board to provide additional protection, with appropriate hanging hardware, and a special note of text, the "Kerwin Collection" was placed on the backing boards to provide provenance for the items.
Relic of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, after treatment and framing
Relic of Saint Clare of Assisi, after treatment and framing
Relic containing a piece of the True Cross of Christ, after treatment and framing
After framing, the relics were returned to Madonna della Strada Chapel for a prayer service and blessing this past December. Now a treasured part of the Chapel, Steve shared “They are displayed in our Reconciliation Room of the Chapel which is a location that is used for prayer and contemplation throughout the week.”
Members of the Kerwin family pose with the relics after a prayer service and blessing this past December.
