ZACHARIAH
Zachariah (Feast day: September 5th) was the father of St. John the Baptist and a Priest of the Temple in Jerusalem. An angel of the Lord appeared to him and prophesied telling him that his wife would bear a son, but the saint doubted the Angel and as a result he became mute. His wife gave birth and eventually St. Zachariah spoke, so he prophesied that John would be the Forerunner of the Lord.
DIRECTIONS
St. Zachariah’s relics are in Chiesa di San Zaccaria (Church of San Zaccaria) in Venice southeast of St. Mark’s Basilica.
Once you exit the train station, head towards St. Mark’s Basilica, and look for a street named Piazza San Marco Take it south, until you see Riva Digli Schiavoni. Take this road east, cross two canals, and turn left (north) on the second street. Head towards Campo San Zaccaria, and the Church will be on the left.
Unlike most Churches in Italy, the relics are not underneath the altar, they are along the wall, together with St. Athanasius the Great’s relics.
There are two sets of relics and St. Zachariah’s are on the bottom. St. Athanasius the Great’s relics are above the Prophet.
CHUCH OF SAN ZACCARIA
The Church itself is very old and on the grounds of an ancient 9th century monastery. The original Church was built in the 12th century and there are mosaic floors to prove its ancient heritage.
I recommend heading to the ancient crypt that is underneath the Church because it is filling with water, and who knows how long before no one will be able to go down to it.
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