Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville presented a relic of St. Angela Merici to Holy Cross High School on September 13. The school has historical ties to the Ursuline Sisters, who founded the former Angela Merici High School. That school merged with Bishop David High School to form Holy Cross, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, according to a press release from the school.

The second-class relic is believed to be a piece of St. Angela’s walking stick, which holds “a symbolic place in the crest of Holy Cross, representing the legacy of Angela Merici High School and the Ursuline Sisters’ profound impact on Catholic Education,” said the release.

Ursuline Sister Rita Wigginton — a 1964 alumna of Angela Merici and current member of the Holy Cross board of directors — presented the relic to the school community on the eve of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Sister Wigginton spoke to the students, telling them relics remind us of "the holiness of the saints" and call us "to follow their example," asking for "the saints’ guidance."