Reliquary theca with a relic of St. Jean-François Régis

Small oval crystal-fronted silver theca housing a relic of Saint Jean-François Régis. The relic is affixed to a red silk background surrounded by gilt paperole and silver wire ornamentation and identified on a manuscript cedula label in Latin as S. Joan Fr. R.  (Saint Jean-François Régis). On the back, the theca is secured by a partially preserved seal of red Spanish wax with an imprint of a coat of arms of a Fr. Domenico Giordani (†1781), Titular Archbishop of Nicomedia (1755-1766). 

Saint Jean-François Régis, known as Saint John Francis Regis (†1640), was a French priest of the Society of Jesus, who spent most of his life serving the marginalized and is recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. John Francis Regis was beatified by Pope Clement XI on 18 May 1716, and canonized by Pope Clement XII on 5 April 1737. He is a holy patron of Regis University, Regis High School, New York City, Regis Jesuit High School Aurora, CO and lacemakers.