The episode has received mixed responses from critics, and was viewed by approximately 6.7 percent of the available audience in its initial broadcast.
As they search his robe to find their objective—the mummified hand of Saint Sebastian—they notice a tattoo on the man's body: an ouroboros, which will later become the symbol of the Millennium Group.
He demands details of the case from Watts, who explains that the mummy found earlier dates to early Christianity, the time when the Group first convened.
Meanwhile, Schlossburg is found to be alive, regaining consciousness in a hospital bed and telling police his assailant was Watts.
At the bog, the pair find a mummified corpse clutching the relic; however, they have been followed by the police, and Watts is arrested for Schlossburg's murder.
Wong also felt "that by revealing that the Millennium Group had existed for centuries and setting the episode overseas, that would give the story greater scope and weight".
Club's Zack Handlen rated the episode a "B+", finding it to contain an entertaining mix of mysticism and espionage.
However, he considered the revelation that Andrews was a turncoat within the Group to be confusing, finding it unclear how a human villain could be defined within a series already making use of demons and theological evil.
[11] Bill Gibron, writing for DVD Talk, rated the episode 4.5 out of 5, praising the guest performances by Pounder and Hall.
[14] However, Robert Shearman and Lars Pearson, in their book Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen, rated "The Hand of St. Sebastian" one star out of five.
He wrote that Henriksen's portrayal of Frank Black seemed "weakened" in the episode, as the actor had built a credible and deep character who now seemed entirely unlike his former self.