Reliquary theca with relics of St. Francis of Paula, the founder of the Order of Minims.

Oval crystal-fronted brass theca housing relic of Saint Francis of Paola. The relic is affixed to a blue silk background surrounded by silver wire ornamentation and identified in Latin on a manuscript cedula label as S. Francisci / de Paula C. (St. Francisco di Paula, Confessor).  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 Roman Catholic Bishop.

Saint Francis of Paola, O.M. (Francesco di Paola)(†1507) was an Italian mendicant friar and the founder of the Roman Catholic Order of Minims. The two major movements in this order were humility and non-violence. The word "Minim" refers to living as the smallest or least or embracing humility, simplicity, and plainness. The call to non-violence and the absence of cruelty was expressed through veganism and not doing harm to any creature. He is a patron saint of vegetarians, boatmen, mariners, and naval officers.