A relic is a remnant of a saint, venerated by Catholics as a way to bring one closer to the saint. In most cases, these relics are a part of the saint's body; items belonging to saints and pieces of cloth pressed against a saint's bones are also considered relics. Relics are usually contained in cases called reliquaries; these cases can be quite ornate, or they can be small enough to slip into a pocket.
Relics are accompanied by authentication documents. These documents contain descriptions of the relic and the reliquary containing the relic, usually in Latin. The documents are signed and sealed by the priest or bishop who issued them, and a matching seal is placed on the inside-back of the reliquary. This collection contains reliquaries holding relics of a number of different saints, as well as the accompanying documentation for many.
