Sint Odulphus was the first Dutch saint from origin. The parish in Best which is named after him, honours him each year with a procession already since 1620. During this procession, a relic is carried along: a small silver hand containing a finger-piece of Odulphus himself.
When the skeleton of Odulphus was exhumed, this finger-piece was given to Pastor Willem Heerbeeck from Best. He ordered something to create a small silver hand as a reliquary to put the finger-piece in. This reliquary is normally stored in the former tabernacle of the Odulphus altar in Best.
The procession was led by the Suisse, the order guard of the church. A number of guests accompanied including mayor Ubachs and aldermen Dijkhoff, Van der Rijt and Van Schuppen. We also spotted the church board, the Guild of St. Odulphus and Brassband St. Cecilia. Some little girls, dressed up as brides, sprinkled confetti.
The procession lead to the Vuurdoornplein where at 11 o’clock a crowded open air Eucharistic celebration was held under the direction of Pastor Brouwers and Almoner Van Lieverloo. The mass was graced by the Brassband and the mixed Odulphus choir.
St. Odulphus is often depicted with an apple. The legend says he received a golden apple from an angel to give him self-confidence after he got complete dissappointed because he was too late for an ecclesiastical exam This apple now is more or less a symbol in Best, used for instance in the pavement of the city centre.