A church in Coventry has invited visitors to view a relic said to be linked to St Valentine, believed to be a fragment of his finger.
St John the Baptist Church has held the small shard of bone for many years. The artefact is kept in a small box inside a reliquary. a decorative casing traditionally used when the relic is brought out for blessing.
The relic’s early history is unclear. The last confirmed location was the Vatican, before St Valentine’s remains were removed in the 19th century. While most of the saint’s bones were taken to Ireland, it is thought the finger fragment later made its way to the Midlands.
One theory suggests an Irish rector may have brought it to Coventry, although this has not been verified. A possible candidate is Rev George Cuffe, who moved to the parish in the late 1800s.
“We think this portion of his body came here from Dublin. Certainly, one of the previous rectors of this church was Irish,” Fr Dexter Bracey, priest in charge at St John the Baptist, told the BBC.
Fr Dexter said the relic attracts significant interest from visitors, particularly around Valentine’s Day.
“We generally get it out around Valentine’s Day,” he said. “People who wish to come and pray before it or receive a blessing can do so.”