A relic depicting the arm of St. Jude the Apostle is on tour in the United States.

Hundreds of people stopped by Sacred Heart Church in Dobbs Ferry on Monday to see the Arm of St. Jude the Apostle and attend a special Mass that honored him.

"It feels so heavenly and.... It takes you out of this world," said Shibe Mani, a woman who stopped to see the relic.

The pilgrimage is the first time the 2,000-year-old relic has ever left Italy.

According to Father Carlos Martins, the director of the pilgrimage, there was a special reason why it went on a tour.

"The Vatican thought this was a great time for the patron saint of hope to come and visit America," Martins said. "He is known for that because there are an incredible number of miracles, historically, that have come about when people have prayed for his intercession."

Specifically, Father Martins said, "America needs hope."

"We're coming off of a debilitating pandemic, some people lost loved ones. Many are still feeling the effects of long COVID," Martins said.

While on tour,  the relic will visit over 230 locations.

Many people, like Edward Helmrich, who got a glimpse of it while it was in Westchester said that they were thankful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Many people don't have the opportunity to go to the Vatican in Italy, so it's a great thing for the church to do for us," Helmrich said.