ORIGINS OF THE ORGANIZATION

St. Francis of Assisi once said; “Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
In 1993 Thomas Serafin created Saints Alive, the first website on the worldwide web devoted to the preservation / veneration of first and second-class religious relics and the education of the faithful.
Because of the great interest throughout the United States and Europe it was believed to be beneficial and appropriate to establish an international movement for the propagation of the preservation and veneration of relics. The commonality of the organization was to be centered on the desire expressed by the faithful, to have a central source of educational information and a governing official office. This was the beginning of the International Crusade for Holy Relics (ICHRusa).
The ICHRusa spent over ten years battling the sale of relics on the Internet. Being a pioneer in the safeguarding of the historical remains of the saints; the ICHRusa was directly responsible for combating the abuse through the use of the media, reeducating relic sellers and buyers, and helping the Internet ISP’s reevaluate their practices.
During an exhibit of relics from his private collection at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Museum in Glendale, California (November - January 2002), a number of individuals offered financial and professional assistance in support of efforts to exhibit, promote, and preserve the collection. Desiring to take full advantage of these offers of assistance, Mr. Serafin developed the concept of a non-profit organization, the Apostolate for Holy Relics, which would utilize the collection, along with the talents and resources of many individuals, to increase appreciation of the spiritual, historical, and artistic value of relics, to promote the devotional veneration

This was the birth of the Apostolate for Holy Relics ( www.relictour.org) , a Calif. 501c3 non-profit, tax-exempt corp. The AHR has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success in a nationwide series of retreats and relic tours. The AHR has been sanctioned as an “Official Catholic Apostolate” by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and its efforts have been recognized by the Church hierarchy across the United States.

In light of the renascence in relic veneration and the resurgence of interest, the ICHR has been reorganized into a membership and informational center for the education and veneration of the remains of the saints. The primary mission of the ICHR is to build a foundation upon the saints for the youth of the Catholic Church.
His devotion to the propagation of proper veneration of relics and the education of the faithful has awarded him the honor of being Knighted in; the Order of Immaculate Conception of Vila Vicosa, Knight of Merit – Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George – U.S. Delegation, Knight Commander of St. Michael of the Wing by HRH Dom Duarte Braganca, and the Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam as Liasion to HIH Prince Buu Chanh of Vietnam for Relics of Vietnamese Catholic Saints.

Because of his noteworthy achievements that have proven to be of a lasting value to society Mr. Serafin's biography has been included in the Marquis Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World. Serafin has been recognized by the IBC for inclusion in the 2004 edition of One Thousand Great Americans. The International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England has accurately highlights the achievements of important people to a worldwide audience of academics and researchers who use the information for individual or scholarly research.