Lourdes saint's bones visit Liverpool's cathedrals

The relics are touring England and Wales

Thousands of people are expected at Liverpool's two cathedrals later to view the bones of the saint associated with the Catholic shrine of Lourdes.

In an unusual move, the relics of Bernadette Soubirous are due to arrive first at the city's Anglican cathedral at 10:30 BST.

Later in the day they will be moved to the city's Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral until Tuesday.

The relics began a tour of England and Wales earlier this month.

The veneration of relics is normally a Roman Catholic practice and was frowned on by the Christian denominations which emerged in the Reformation.

However, The Very Reverend Dr Sue Jones, Dean of Liverpool Cathedral, said the Anglican cathedral was "truly honoured to be receiving the relics of St Bernadette".

"We know this will be a spiritually moving occasion for Christians across our region," she said.

Bernadette Soubirous was canonised in 1933

Canon Anthony O'Brien, Dean of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, said the visit to both cathedrals was "a striking witness" to Catholic-Anglican relations.

Bernadette Soubirous, who was canonised by the Catholic Church in 1933, claimed to see a vision of a lady in white 18 times between 11 February and 16 July in 1858 after picking firewood by the River Gave at Lourdes, in the French Pyrenees.

The teenager was taken seriously by the initially sceptical church authorities when she told them the lady had said she was "The Immaculate Conception" a Catholic dogma defined only four years earlier by Pope Pius IX and a title a poor miller's daughter would not know.

Catholics believe Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ was born sinless.

The Catholic Church says her reported visions of the Virgin Mary are "worthy of belief" and has officially declared the healings of 70 people, who either drank or bathed in the waters at Lourdes, as inexplicable cures.

Millions of pilgrims visit it annually.

Lourdes is a popular Roman Catholic shrine