Hundreds gathered at Saints Philip and James Church on North Charles Street for the final chance to see the relics of a revered theologian for the last time in the U.S.

The last opportunity for people to see the skull of St. Thomas Aquinas, a leading theologian, philosopher and doctor of the Catholic Church, is Wednesday at the Baltimore church. The skull has been on tour nationwide for the last year in honor of the saint’s 700th canonization anniversary in 2023, 750th death anniversary in 2024 and 800th birthday in 2025.

The skull’s other U.S. stops included Charlottesville, Virginia; Providence, Rhode Island; Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; Louisville and Springfield, Kentucky; New York City; Philadelphia; and Washington, D.C.

The Dominican Province, sponsor of the relic tour, said the Rev. Michael Weibley, pastor of Saints Philip and James Church, reached out to Dominican Friars like himself to see if their church wanted to be a stop on the tour.

“It’s a great gift. We’re blessed to bring so many people to our church, many who aren’t from our parish or in our church but wanted to share in the grace and relic of St. Thomas,” Weibley said.

On Tuesday morning, he and another pastor drove to Philadelphia, the previous stop, to pick up the relic in its bolted box — secured for traveling — and bring it before the Catholics of Baltimore.

Aquinas is believed to have been born in 1225 near Aquino, Italy, as the youngest of nine children from a wealthy family, according to Stanford University. According to Stanford, he studied philosophy and theology in Paris and became the chair of theology for the Order of Preachers in Paris.

Stanford reports that Aquinas left behind over 8 million words, ranging from biblical and philosophical commentaries, disputed questions and more. His most famous work is “Summa Theoligiae,” or “Summary of Theology,” which includes sections on God’s nature, human nature, and theological and philosophical virtues. His work is the foundation of Thomism, “a body of philosophical and theological ideas that seeks to articulate the intellectual content of Catholic Christianity.”

Weibley said there were about 500 people at the church for Tuesday’s events. Attendees ranged from elementary-age boys with their parents, to the juniors and seniors of Mount de Sales Academy, a Catonsville Catholic high school, and elders with their walkers and canes.

They filed in a single line that wrapped around the church pews as they waited to go to the saint in prayer, take photos of his relics, and venerate anything, including necklaces or bracelets, that belonged to him. Sister Michaela Martinez, a religion teacher at Mount de Sales Academy, said they don’t pray to Aquinas’ relic, they ask him to pray with them or speak to God for them.

Veneration, or reverence for the relic, will be from 12-9 p.m. on Wednesday at Saints Philip and James Church. There will be Mass at noon, holy hour at 7:10 p.m. and a party in the church hall.

Weibley doesn’t suspect Wednesday will be as congested as Tuesday, since people have most of the day to view the relic. “Come and pray, pray big and open your heart to the Lord,” he suggests.

Aquinas is believed to have died due to illness or a head injury in the Fossanova Abbey on March 7, 1274, around age 49. He became a saint in 1323, America: The Jesuit Review magazine reported. According to Catholic News Agency, his body remained there until 1369, when his relics were moved to Toulouse, France, where the Order of Preachers was founded.

Another skull was found enclosed in the walls of the Fossanova Abbey in 1585 with other documents that indicated it was Aquinas’ true skull, a report in World Neurosurgery said. That skull serves as a relic, which is a body part or piece of clothing from a deceased saint, in Priverno, Italy. The skull on tour is from France.

Over two dozen students from Mount de Sales Academy journeyed to Tuesday’s event on a white school bus. Mount de Sales has about six Dominican sisters, one of whom is Martinez, who said she was excited to share this experience with her students.

“It brings me so much joy to share this encounter with Thomas. I share my love for him in my teachings every day, so to share this devotion with the girls is very beautiful,” Martinez said.

Martinez said they learned about the tour a couple of weeks ago and planned a field trip to visit Saints Philip and James Church for the veneration.

“Because we form our girls in the work of St. Thomas, we wanted to bring them here,” she said.