Relic of Saint Thomas the Apostle in pure sterling silver reliquary

The reliquary is accompanied by its original Roman ecclesiastical Authentica, dated 5 April 1911, issued under the authority of Cardinal Pietro Respighi (1843–1913), Cardinal-Priest of Santi Quattro Coronati and Vicar General of Rome, one of the highest ecclesiastical offices in the Diocese of Rome.

Cardinal Respighi had been created Cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in 1899 and served as Cardinal Vicar of Rome from 1900 until his death in 1913.

Dimensions of the theca: 3 × 2.5 cm.

Saint Thomas the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, occupies a particularly important place in the Gospel of John.

Initially absent when the Risen Christ appeared to the other Apostles, Thomas declared that he would believe only after seeing and touching Christ’s wounds. At Christ’s subsequent appearance, he responded with one of the most profound confessions of faith in the New Testament: “My Lord and my God.”

According to ancient Christian tradition, Saint Thomas later carried the Gospel eastward as far as India, where the ancient Saint Thomas Christian communities continue to honor him as their apostolic founder.

Tradition holds that he was martyred near Mylapore, in present-day Chennai.

This important relic is preserved in an elegant solid sterling silver oval theca, containing a substantial sacred fragment identified as belonging to Saint Thomas the Apostle, mounted beneath glass and accompanied by its original identification label.

All original threads and ecclesiastical seals remain intact. The relic is accompanied by its original Authentica, dated 1911, preserving the integrity and documented ecclesiastical provenance of this exceptional ensemble.