The air of anticipation as the Bristol crowd gathered made it feel like the moments before a royal visit.

Even down to the line of neatly uniformed schoolchildren, each holding a small posy of yellow and white flowers, whispering excitedly as they waited for their special guest to arrive.

But the 700 people who gathered at St Teresa's Church in Filton, yesterday afternoon weren't there to welcome a visiting dignitary.

They had come to pay homage to the mortal remains of St Thérèse of Lisieux – a 19th-century French Carmelite nun, who died more than a century ago at the age of 24.

And more than 1,000 worshippers attended an evening service, with hundreds queuing into the night to venerate St Teresa. People came from far and wide to see the relics for themselves, including bus-loads from Cheltenham, Bath, Swindon and even a few from Liverpool and Preston.

Through the writing she left behind, St Teresa has inspired generations of Catholics to find a deeper connection with their faith. She was canonised in the 1920s, and her mortal remains have been on a devotional world tour for the past 10 years.

Yesterday they arrived in Filton – with the visit honouring the fact that the 1920s church of St Teresa of the Child Jesus, in Gloucester Road North, was one of the first in the world named in her honour.

Inside the church, the pews had been filled an hour before the arrival of the saint's holy bones.

But the faithful kept coming – filling every available space in the nave, and spilling out on to the pavement in front of the church.

Father Tom Finnegan, priest in charge, said: "St Thérèse is a particularly inspiring individual for the Catholic community. Through the writings she left behind, she has given us a wonderful insight into the ways we can connect with God on a daily basis."

The saint's remains arrived at 2.30pm, carried in a modest black Citroen people carrier.

As the car drew up, the gold-encrusted casket gleamed through the window. At the sight of it, a reverential hush descended upon the scene.

Overseen by a Sister from the Carmelite order of Liseux in Normandy, where St Thérèse spent the last few years of her life, the casket was lifted out of the car.

Six men from the Bristol-based Western Gaels Gaelic Games Association lent their muscle to the occasion, by acting as pallbearers. The concentration showed on their faces as they nervously lifted the ornate casket and carried it behind Father Tom into the church.

The 50 children from St Teresa's Primary School, who formed the guard of honour, clasped their hands together in prayer as the relics were carried between them. Inside, a short service of welcome included a performance of Amazing Grace by the St Bede's School Choir. The congregation also sang the hymn My Song For Today, based on a poem by St Thérèse.

After the service hundreds continued to gather at the church for three hours of private prayer and reflection in the company of the saint.

The queue continued to file past the relics, some choosing to touch the Perspex casing over the mahogany casket, others just mouthing a few words of silent prayer before moving on.

"Throughout the entire time that the relics have been here, we have also had people in constant prayer – one either side of the relics," Father Tom said. "We felt this was an important way of reminding people of the holy nature of the occasion."

Maeve O'Leary, from Alveston, was one of the 700-strong congregation at the welcome service. She said: "I've always found St Thérèse inspiring. Before her death, she said she would sprinkle the world with roses from heaven, so whenever I find a rose on the floor I take it as a sign from her that my prayers are being heard."

Elizabeth Dillon, from Clevedon, was also keen to see the relics arrive. She said: "I think people connect to her so strongly, because she was with us just over a century ago. So we have her writing and we have lots of photographs of her. It's very special for me to be here today to see her relics visit the city."

There was standing room only for a special mass at the church last night, with people pouring out of the door to hear the service by Father Michael McAndrew.

Four coaches were parked along Gloucester Road North for the duration of the service, so police had to manage passing traffic.

Ann Gathercole, 66, of Downend, said 50 people had come from her church alone. She said: "It was a wonderful service, there was a shower of roses, we all got one. There were lots of children, beautiful hymns that everyone would know. I came because it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Ben Townsend, 24, of Shirehampton, was one of the many younger people who attended. He said: "St Thérèse is quite an inspiring saint in the history of the church.

"I recently converted to Catholicism. I'm glad I came."

Stephen Carroll, 53, of Henleaze, said: "It was a very moving service, having all these people here. It's not about the bones, it's about being together, having a common sense."

Antonia Stonell, 37, brought her three eight-year-old children from Swindon. She said: "She was such a positive figure for her time, she did so much good in her short life.

"There's not many examples of that this day and age, it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the children to see."

Although many left after the service to catch buses home, hundreds more began to queue outside the church to pay their personal respects and pray.

Father McAndrew, of St Francis of Assisi Church in Nailsea, said: "There are all sorts of people here, including travellers and immigrants, all united by one thing."

The church was due to stay open throughout the night, with a final mass planned for 9am this morning. Shortly after the relics will leave Bristol as St Thérèse continues her endless world tour.

This is the first time the relics have been brought to Britain.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England when they started their world tour, Cardinal Basil Hume, is understood to have blocked initial attempts to bring them to the UK. Cardinal Hume died in 1999 and his successor, Cardinal Cormac Murphy- O'Connor, gave permission for this year's tour when he was approached two years ago.