Saint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart Relic Card – Ex Tunica Interiori, 1934

Rare 1934 Catholic Relic Card of Saint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart

A beautiful vintage Catholic relic card dedicated to Saint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart (1747–1770), an Italian Discalced Carmelite nun known for her profound devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and her life of prayer, humility and hidden charity.

The front features a striking Art Deco-style devotional image of the saint, surrounded by geometric ecclesiastical ornamentation in gold, burgundy and rose tones. Beneath the image is a French devotional inscription:

“Seigneur augmentez ma patience, pour pouvoir souffrir encore plus pour vous.”

The reverse bears an original Latin relic inscription:

“Reliquia huic imagini affixa
E TUNICA INTERIORI
S. Theresiae-Marg. a S. Corde Jesu”

meaning that a relic from the inner garment of Saint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart is affixed to the image.

The reverse is dated:

Luythaegen, 15 November 1934

and includes a handwritten ecclesiastical authorization signed by a Carmelite religious, together with an O.C.D. seal.

The date is particularly interesting historically: Saint Teresa Margaret was canonized by Pope Pius XI on 19 March 1934, making this a devotional relic card from the same year as her canonization.

Saint Teresa Margaret, born Anna Maria Redi, entered the Carmelite monastery in Florence in 1764 and died at only 22 years of age in 1770. Her spirituality was centered on love of God, prayer, humility and acts of hidden charity.

Details

• Saint: Saint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart
• Birth name: Anna Maria Redi
• Order: Discalced Carmelites (O.C.D.)
• Relic designation: Ex Tunica Interiori
• Relic: from the saint's inner garment
• Date on authentication: 15 November 1934
• Place: Luythaegen, Belgium
• Approx. dimensions: 7 × 11.5 cm
• Period: 1934
• Features: original printed devotional image, relic inscription, handwritten authorization and ecclesiastical seal
• Condition: vintage/antique condition with visible signs of age and protective covering; please see photographs for details

A particularly appealing piece for a Catholic relic collector, Carmelite collection, devotional display, or historical ecclesiastical archive.