Saint Thérèse Relics Visit Cashel and Emly

A Pilgrim Saint

A Brief Biography of "The Greatest Saint of Modern Times"

Archbishop Clifford's Message

Details of Visit to Thurles of Saint Thérèse Relics

"The visit of the relics of Saint Thérèse is a pilgrimage in reverse. Instead of pilgrims travelling to her Shrine in Lisieux she is coming to visit us."

Below are links to articles published at the Irish Saint Thérèse Pilgrimage Website. See also
The Veneration of Relics

http://www.sttherese.com/article_4.html

Gallery of Images of Saint Thérèse

http://www.sttherese.com/gallery.html

A Pilgrim Saint

"I would like to travel over the whole earth to preach your Name… to preach the Gospel on all five continents."

Saint Thérèse

A Brief Biography of "The Greatest Saint of Modern Times"

Continue reading at http://www.sttherese.com/about.html

Archbishop Clifford's Message

Then, in the days after Vatican II, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, like many of the other Saints, was largely forgotten. Apart from a small number of devotees who went to Lisieux on pilgrimage, little was heard of the "Little Flower" any more.

However, in 1997, the centenary of her death, Pope John Paul II surprised the Catholic world by declaring her a Doctor of the Church. He described her as, "an expert in prayer". Her " little way" was back on the agenda.

The arrival of her Relics in Ireland has been an occasion of great rejoicing among the ordinary people. Apart from a small number of sceptics, there has been a heart-warming revival of devotion to Saint Thérèse. Our age has not become as secular as we thought. Even the media have been unexpectedly supportive in most cases.

The Relics of Saint Thérèse will be in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles on 25 June next. I have no doubt that large numbers of people will come to venerate them and to pray to the "Little Flower". Devotion to the Saints is ultimately praise of God.

"You are glorified in your saints,
for their glory is the crowning of your gifts.
In their lives on earth you give us an example.
In our communion with them, you give us their friendship.
In their prayer for the Church
you give us strength and protection."
(Preface of Holy Women)

Saint Thérèse is, above all, a teacher of prayer and total surrender to God. She set out at a very young age to become a saint, not a great saint, just a little saint! She looked for a way to God, " a new way, very short, very straight, a little path ". She asked Our Lord to give her a lift, like rich people have in their homes, since she felt too little to go up the steps of perfection. Her little way, based on childlike simplicity and humility, gives us all the courage to venture on the path to holiness.

Saint Thérèse shows that holiness is possible for ordinary people. In fact, it consists in doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well. We can be full of confidence in praying to her for assistance. Before she died on 30 September 1897, at the age of twenty-four, she wrote; "After my death I will let fall a shower of roses." Again, "I will spend my Heaven in doing good on Earth ".