Relic of True Cross inspires Ayala Family

Maria and Rudy Ayala with their quadruplets. (Courtesy Photo/Rudy Ayala)

By Gene Fadness

for the ICR

The Idaho Catholic Men’s Conference has drawn the best of nationally known Catholic speakers over its 10-year span. Nonetheless, the men are surprised when spiritual needs are met in more ways than just inspiring speakers.

For some, it is Adoration or the opportunity to participate in Mass with the Bishop. For others, it may be Reconciliation or the camaraderie with many like-minded men. For Rudy Ayala of Immaculate Conception Parish in Buhl, it was an encounter with a relic.

The relic of the True Cross was moved to the Men’s Conference at Holy Apostles in Meridian at the request of Bishop Peter Christensen. Bishop Peter asked Johnny Horn,

Conference co-organizer, to transport the relic from the Cathedral where it has been on display, housed in the special Jubilee Cross near the Cathedral altar. It was a last-minute change for the Men’s Conference, but one that bore fruit in one man’s life and likely many others.

The relic so impacted Ayala that he immediately told his family about it when he arrived home late Saturday night.

“After I told them about the relic, I asked them if they would like to see it.” They said yes, so on Sunday morning, just hours after getting back from Boise, Ayala, his wife Maria and their four children made the 130-mile journey back to Meridian—only to find that the relic was no longer there. It had been moved back to the Cathedral.

Having already attended Mass that morning at Holy Apostles, his kids wanted to go to Costco, but Ayala said he was still “determined to see the relic.” At Costco, they ran into Johnny Horn.

When they told Horn that they had driven back to Boise to see the relic, Horn told them they could probably still see it if they left right then to get to the Cathedral in time for the close of the Spanish Mass. They grabbed a Costco hot dog and were out the door.

Ayala, his wife and children were able to pray in front of the Jubilee Cross containing the relic. (Asked how old his children are, Ayala responded, “Eight, eight, eight and eight.” Quadruplets, two boys and two girls.)

“It’s not every day you can see a tiny piece of the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified,” Ayala said. “You may get to see other relics, but, for me, this was the top of the relics.”

After a short time in prayer in front of the Jubilee Cross containing a fragment of the True Cross, the family got into the car and headed back to Buhl in the pouring rain. “I’m so happy my entire family got to see it,” Ayala said.