St. Michael the Archangel was the leader of the army of God during Lucifer’s revolt. He is considered the guardian angel of Israel, and the guardian and protector of the Church. In the Book of Daniel (12:1), Michael is prophesied as rising up to defend the Church against the Anti-Christ.

The feast of the Apparation of St. Michael is celebrated annually on May 8 commemorates his appearances in the year 492 within a mountain cave, near San Giovanni Rotundo, Italy. A local nobleman lost his best bull. After much searching, he found it kneeling in a cave. Mysteriously unable to approach it, he shot the bull with an arrow, but the arrow turned around and struck him instead.

He consulted the bishop as to what all this meant. The bishop ordered three days of prayer and fasting. Afterward St. Michael said to the bishop, "I am the archangel Michael, and I have chosen to dwell in that place on earth and to keep it safe." When they arrived to consecrate the cave, St. Michael said, "It is not necessary that you dedicate this church that I myself have consecrated with my presence."

A legend says that one of the stones contains St. Michael's footprint.

Over a thousand years later, tradition claims St. Michael appeared again at the shrine, where he told the bishop, "I am the Archangel St. Michael. Anyone who uses the stones of this grotto will be liberated." Since then tiny stones from this grotto have been distributed around the world and are known as "St. Michael Relic Stones." According to exorcist Fr. Chad Ripperger, these stones have been used in exorcisms and are known to be effective at expelling the presence of the devil. This is in accord with the traditional practice of exorcists using relics during exorcisms, invoking the intercession of holy saints and angels against the actions of Satan.

These relics still exist today at the Shrine of Monte Gargano and are frequently used by priests and laity as a sacramental that helps deepen a person's love to God through the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel. A certificate of authenticity accompanies these stones to verify that they were taken from the cave that St. Michael consecrated with his presence.

It should be noted that the belief that these stones were touched by St. Michael the Archangel is part of local popular belief and is not something bound to all Catholics throughout the world.

Whether or not St. Michael the Archangel left his "footprint" on a stone is difficult to verify through scientific sources.

However, regardless of the veracity of the legendary story, what's important to know is how God can still act through the faith of an individual and the intercession of St. Michael. What's important is that these relics can become an instrument of God's grace if they are used with authentic faith. This stone is from the cave’s interior, where the apparition occurred.

• “Archangel Michael Himself Consecrated This Shrine in Italy.” Aleteia, 29 Sept. 2021, https://aleteia.org/2021/09/29/archangel-michael-himself-consecrated-this-shrine-in-italy.