Antique Catholic Relic Card – Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew, Carmelite, Belgium

A beautiful antique Catholic relic card dedicated to Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew (Anne de Saint-Barthélemy), a Spanish Carmelite nun and close companion of Saint Teresa of Ávila.

The front features a devotional portrait of Blessed Anne in her Carmelite habit, together with the inscription:

“LA BIENHEUREUSE ANNE DE SAINT-BARTHÉLEMY”

Beneath the image is a small relic compartment containing a tiny textile relic, identified on the card as:

“Relique de la Bienheureuse”
Relic of the Blessed.

The card also bears the devotional invocation:

“Dieu aime à être prié et à voir que nous mettons en lui notre confiance.”
God loves to be prayed to and to see that we place our trust in Him.

The reverse contains extensive French prayers asking for the intercession of Blessed Anne and a special prayer for her canonization. It also provides information for reporting graces received through her intercession and bears the imprint of Desclée, De Brouwer & Cie, Bruges.

A particularly charming historical devotional piece, combining a printed image, prayer text and an enclosed relic associated with one of the notable figures of the Carmelite tradition.

Details

• Subject: Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew
• Relic: Small textile fragment identified as a relic of the Blessed
• Religious Order: Discalced Carmelites
• Connection: Companion and disciple of Saint Teresa of Ávila
• Origin: Belgium
• Publisher: Desclée, De Brouwer & Cie, Bruges
• Language: French
• Type: Antique Catholic relic card
• Material: Printed card with mounted relic fragment
• Size: approx. 10 × 14 cm
• Condition: Antique condition with age-related toning, foxing, discoloration and minor edge wear; small signs of age visible around the relic compartment.

Important collector's note

The relic compartment and printed inscription are part of the original devotional card, which explicitly identifies the enclosed fragment as a relic of Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew. No separate certificate of authenticity is visible with the piece.