The feast of St. Therese of Lisieux

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On the feast of St. Therese I rejoice with the people of Great Britain in all the graces they are receiving during the "reverse pilgrimage" of the relics of St. Therese  and with the friends of St. Therese all over the world.  May I ask two feast-day favors of my readers?

First, on October 12 the reliquary will visit the Wormwood Scrubs prison in London.  The Catholic Herald  reports that inspectors recently found that the prison had deteriorated and that gang activity had increased.  Will you please join in prayer with and for the prisoners and ask God to permit the visit of the reliquary of St. Therese to open a new era of nonviolence for everyone associated with the prison?  I invite you  all to join in "days of solidarity" between Therese's feast and October 12, and to pray fervently before and during the visit that it will be a turning point in the spiritual history of the prison.

Second, I ask your prayers for a personal intention: the healing of my sister, who is seriously ill. 

May we celebrate St. Therese not only by admiring her but also by casting ourselves, as she did, into "the abysses of love and mercy of the Heart of Jesus."

 

 

Vigil of the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux: thousands of "little souls" venerate her in England

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God is working miracles in England through the "reverse pilgrimage" of the relics of St. Therese, who died 112 years ago this evening.  Something like 6,500 "little souls" venerated the relics at the Lancaster Cathedral.  Please see the bishops' blog for the tour of the relics for powerful stories.  Commenting on the many ill and elderly who struggled through the uncertainties of rural transport to pray before the relics, the national blog of the Catholic Church adds:

"At the same time, there is a sense that Therese has acted as a catalyst, allowing Catholics the opportunity to congregate, enjoy each other’s company, pray together and to ‘be Church’ in a unique way. There is a feeling of having had the opportunity to reclaim Catholic heritage, regardless of potential misunderstanding and criticism from outsiders … and to everybody’s surprise, the result has been amazingly positive and supportive from even the most unlikely media quarters. Believers and unbelievers will be left with a memory of a very special togetherness, a moment catalysed by the bones of a young Carmelite nun who died a century ago." 

Please also see the beautiful photos and moving text from the Lancaster Cathedral blog for the visit.  The relics are now at St. Andrew's Church in Newcastle; on the feast tomorrow they will be at the Anglican Cathedral,  York  Minster.  Let's pray "that all may be one."

The first ten days of the pilgrimage of the relics of St. Therese to England and Wales

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The relics of St. Therese arrived in England on September 16.  Thousands have venerated them at Portsmouth, Plymouth, Taunton, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, and Salford.  On Monday, September 28, they will arrive in Lancaster.  Click for many news stories about the reception of the relics and for the blog set up by the bishops so you can follow the relics from one church to the next.  Please join all the friends of St. Therese in praying that God will bless the people of Great Britain with healing and peace and will plant the gospel in many hearts during this visit, fulfilling Therese's desire "to love Jesus and to make Him loved."

"Praying for Priests with St. Therese of Lisieux," by Maureen O'Riordan, published by the Catholic Truth Society in Great Britain

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In honor of the Year of the Priest and the historic first visit of the relics of St. Therese to England and Wales, I wrote the booklet "Praying for Priests with St. Therese," which the Catholic Truth Society has just published in Great Britain.  Here Therese tells the story of her apostolate of prayer for priests, and we read excerpts from her letters to seminarian Maurice Belliere and mission priest Adolphe Roulland, the two young men to whom she was a "spiritual sister."  The booklet includes an apostolic novena to St. Therese composed of excerpts from her letters to her two priest-brothers.  This novena may be offered for any intention.  This booklet is an easy way to read the most powerful excerpts of her inspiring letters to the two young men.

 

From the cover:

"St. Therese of Lisieux loved the priesthood and consecrated herself for priests, calling herself "an apostle to apostles."  She did not pray for priests for their sake only, but out of love for the souls they were to serve.  She prayed for the priest in solidarity with Jesus in the Eucharist, with Mary, with the Church, and with the world, and offered her life for their apostolic ministry.  In this Year for Priests, Therese can lead us to share in this work of prayer by means of the special Novena for Priests included here, composed entirely of excerpts from the critical edition of her letters to a priest and a seminarian."

To order it, click on the image above.  You can purchase it online; it will be shipped to you from England.

 

"Leonie!", a feature film about Leonie Martin, the sister of St. Therese of Lisieux, to be released in the United States in 2010

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I am delighted to announce that "Leonie!," a feature film about Leonie Martin, the sister of St. Therese of Lisieux, is scheduled to be released in the United States in the summer of 2010.  The film is being shot in Michigan and at the Visitation Monastery in Toledo, Ohio in July and August 2009.  Barbara Middleton is the executive producer, and Joe Maher wrote the script and is directing the film.  For news stories and a radio show about the film, please see below.

"Big project to hit big screen," by Catherine Minolli. The Tri-City Times, July 22, 2009.

"Made in Michigan,"by Matt December.  The Source, July 19, 2009

"Local girls land leads in major film shot in Romeo," by Chris Gray.  The Romeo Observer, July 2009.

"Film producers find perfect 'set' in Romeo," by Chris Gray.  The Romeo Observer, July 2009.

"Lights! Camera! Action! :Historic Warren schoolhouse picked as movie set for 'Leonie!'; 1875 Romeo House Next Stop," by Norb Franz. The Macomb Daily, July 9, 2009.  {I regret that this article has now disappeared from the newspaper's Web site].

For the life of Leonie Martin, read 

Leonie Martin: A Difficult Life. by Marie Baudouin-Croix.  (Click on the image for information; new copies now available (February 2015) as e-books!).

For a reflection about Leonie Martin, see

"Leonie Martin," a spiritual newsletter of Clairval Abbey, whom I thank for permission to post it here.

For more online information about Leonie's life, see