Bringing “the sacred to the profane.” That is what one Minnesota diocesan priest has accomplished by curating the “Vatican Unveiled” exhibit that just completed a public display at the Mall of America in Minneapolis. The exhibit was hosted by the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in celebration of the diocese’s 175th anniversary.
Fr. Richard Kunst is the man behind the largest collection of papal artifacts outside of Rome.
Fr. Kunst is a priest of the Diocese of Duluth in northern Minnesota. His interest in history as a teenager was piqued by a government class project in his senior year of high school. He chose to write to President Jimmy Carter, and received in response an autographed photo of the president and his wife.
“After spending hundreds of dollars in postage,” Fr. Richard shared in promotional materials for the exhibit, “I amassed a fairly large collection” of celebrity autographs.
Though he had zeroed in on historical autographs of past presidents, one day he saw three papal autographs for auction in a dealer catalog.
Shocked that items like this even existed, and thanks to a loan from his sister, he purchased two of the autographs. They were of Popes John XXIII and Paul VI, both from when they were cardinals.
With later additions of the signatures of Popes Pius VII (1742-1823) and Pius X (1835-1914), his interest in modern celebrities and past presidents shifted to a quest focused exclusively on religious themed autographs and memorabilia.
Who we are ...
Now with a steady income as an ordained diocesan priest, Fr. Kunst has invested in developing this unique Catholic collection. The explosion of the internet has made it easier than it was in his high school years. Now he has access to international dealers and artifacts resulting in not only the largest amassed grouping of artifacts from popes, but numerous interesting relics of saints and broader Church history.
Speaking with Aleteia Fr. Kunst reflected on a question of the importance and value of such artifacts in light of modern society’s draw towards minimalism and downsizing.
“I’m all in favor of downsizing and decluttering,” the priest said, “but these are things significant and sacred to our history."
“I mean, if these items were sold — or if the Vatican sold artifacts they have — they couldn’t inspire the next generations… And you can’t go to the Vatican and experience Rome as a faithful person and not be moved to continue in your fidelity” to Christ and the Church, he reflected.
He said he likes to think that the exhibit is “a preservation and patrimony of who we are as a Church … It’s important not to throw away our history.”
The exhibit features “Curator’s Picks,” highlighting artifacts that Fr. Kunst calls “most extraordinary.”
Among these selections is a first-class relic of preserved hairs from St. Maxilimilian Kolbe, the WWII martyr of Auschwitz. He shared that the hairs were quietly saved by friars who served as barbers; they saved the shaved hairs without then-Fr. Maxilimilian’s knowledge because his holiness had already been noted by his companions.
Other “Curator Picks” include a handwritten letter from Blessed Charles de Foucauld and relics of the true cross.
Completely convinced that St. Helena found the true cross of Christ in the Holy Land and brought it to Rome, Fr. Kunst explains that his judgment on the authenticity of this encased relic is that it was owned, and prayed with, by Pope Clement XI (1700-1721).
From ordinary to sacred
In total, the collection contains 74 papal artifacts.
The papal relics and saints’ relics show the humanity of these holy men and women, the priest reflected. They didn't start off as saints or popes. For example, the collection includes a philosophy assignment from Eugenio Pacelli, the future Pope Pius XII.
Among the saints’ relics are included various items belonging to St. Jean Vianney, including a cloth he used daily (with a notarized letter of authenticity). A rare posthumous photograph of the saint is also included.
More modern items range from a holy card of St. Maria Goretti’s mother to first- and second-class relics of St. Gianna Molla, which were presented to Fr. Kunst by the saint’s daughter in Duluth during a 2017 visit.
Now with the election of Pope Leo, the first US pope, and stories from people who knew him as a child, Catholics and non-believers are reminded that these high-profile leaders were once students and ordinary youth, who lived regular lives before their unique call to the papacy.
Explaining the role of relics for a Catholic, Fr. Kunst drew a relatable parallel. Clarifying that Catholics venerate (not worship) relics, he said, “All you have to do is go to eBay and do a search for Tops trading cards. They sell these cards with little bits of the jersey of different professional athletes.
“There’s something in the DNA of us humans, as tangible beings, that we want to collect things associated with people we admire… This is no different, but brought to a sacred level.”
The entire collection is shared with photos and information at papalartifacts.com and was the subject of an EWTN series aired in 2013, which is available for purchase as a DVD. All proceeds from the Minnesota display benefitted Catholic schools in Duluth, Minnesota, per Fr. Kunst’s wishes.
