Relics on the Move

Relics on the Move: Jerusalem Treasure Trove Temporarily in Texas

Laura Ruberto

30 Jun 2026 • 5 min read

Jerusalem's magnificent Holy Sepulcher. Image credit: Creative Commons.

If You Bring Them, They Will Come

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, is currently hosting the exhibition, “The Holy Sepulcher: Treasures from the Terra Sancta Museum, Jerusalem.” Due to its popularity, it was extended for two weeks and now goes through July 12, 2026. The exhibit features 60 rare objects from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Key items include a relic of the True Cross, a decorative silver panel from Christ’s tomb, liturgical vestments (e.g., dalmatics and chasubles with Passion symbols), a throne/monstrance for Eucharistic exposition, candlesticks, metal flowers, torchères, and other silver/gold objects. Image credit: Created with Grok Imagine by xAI.

These treasures, preserved by Franciscan Friars since 1342, are now touring in the United States for the first time, having previously been at The Frick Collection in New York. They invite visitors to encounter Jerusalem’s sacred history.

Image credit: Created with Grok Imagine by xAI.Prayer

Jerusalem, My Jerusalem!

As the site of the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Holy Sepulcher, the Resurrection, the Ascension, and Pentecost, Jerusalem is the spiritual and geographic heart of salvation history. It was traditionally viewed as the center of the world in Christian cosmology with medieval maps even placing it centrally as the meeting point of Heaven and earth. The city foreshadows the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21) where God dwells fully with humanity.

One of Jerusalem’s physical and spiritual treasures is the greatest of all relics of the Passion--the True Cross. St. Helena discovered it there in 326 AD, and it was authenticated by a miracle. Slivers of it were dispersed while the site remained central.

Depiction of St. Helen discovering the 300-year-old Cross of Christ.

The Franciscan Custody safeguards all the Holy Places of Jerusalem and objects therein. These relics serve as tangible “pledges” linking the faithful to Christ’s Passion and the Church’s living memory across time and distance.

Objets d’Art—and Liturgy

We have these relics thanks to European monarchs (French, Portuguese, Spanish, Neapolitan, and more) who donated the high-craftsmanship liturgical objects over centuries for use in Masses and ceremonies at the Holy Sepulcher. Many have no extant parallels. Through care of the friars, items survived wars, Ottoman rule, British mandate, Israeli statehood, earthquakes, and general damage over time.

Artistry on display includes mercury gilding and royal emblems like fleur-de-lis or Portuguese shields as well as repairs such as the Venetian remaking of silver in 1762.

A masterpiece of the exhibit. Image credit: Creative Commons.

While the objects draw many for their beauty, their spiritual value is inestimable. They encourage gratitude, reflection on the Eucharist, and a “pilgrimage of the heart” even when physical travel to Jerusalem is not possible.

Origin Story—A Simple Question

One person who was able to visit Jerusalem made the exhibit possible. Here is the story:

· 2018: Xavier F. Salomon (The Frick Collection’s Deputy Director and Chief Curator) visited Jerusalem as a tourist and became intrigued by the Franciscan Custody’s treasures and the planned Terra Sancta Museum.

· 2022: After attending a lecture by Friar Stéphane Milovitch in Paris, Salomon asked the question: “Have you ever considered sending these treasures to the U.S.?”

· 2022-2025: Salomon led the collaboration with the Terra Sancta Museum team, organizing the current two-city tour to share the collection ahead of its permanent home in Jerusalem.

Xavier F. Salomon. Image credit: Creative Commons.

Mr. Salomon wrote a book about the treasures, and this EWTN article has more on the exhibit.

What to Know if You Go

LOCATION: Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas in the Piano Pavilion

DATES: March 15–July 12, 2026

HOURS: Tuesday -Saturday 10-5, Sunday 12-5 (closed Monday)

WEBSITE: https://kimbellart.org/holy-sepulcher

LOOK FOR:

· True Cross reliquary

· Silver panel from Christ’s tomb

· Throne of Eucharistic Exposition/monstrance (Naples, 1754)

· Royal vestments (e.g., 1619 dalmatics by Alexandre Paynet)

· Altar silverwork

· Repaired torchères (one remade in 1762)

· Metal flowers (as fresh blooms are not always available in Jerusalem’s dry climate)

· Other liturgical items in gold, silver, enamel, and jewels

After their Texas tenure, the objects will return to Jerusalem. The new Terra Sancta Museum at St. Savior Monastery will display them permanently to be guarded by the Franciscans once again.

We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world!