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Saint Thérèse of Lisieux in Lancaster 28th-30th September 2009 |
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The Relics of St Thérèse
Thérèse wanted to be a missionary but lived her adult life enclosed in Carmel. In death, her relics have travelled the world, visiting more than 40 countries including Ireland, Cameroon, Canada, Australia, Philippines, Iraq, the United States, Russia, New Zealand and Lebanon. In November 2007 the Pope received the relics at the Vatican City (pictured here). By these travels Thérèse has become the missionary she always desired to be.
The reliquary will arrive at Lancaster Cathedral at about 4pm on Monday 28th September, and remain there until 11am on Wednesday 30th. It is nearly five feet in length and weighs 500lbs. After Thérèse’s death her body was exhumed and only the skeleton was found to remain. Since that time the breast bone was removed and placed in an effigy of Thérèse which can be seen in the Carmel at Lisieux. Her right arm, used to write her famous work The Story of a Soul, was also removed and is now permanently at the Basilica in Lisieux. The remaining bones have been equally divided into two identical reliquaries: one remains at Lisieux; the other has, since 1997 (the centenary of Thérèse’s death), travelled the world. It is this reliquary which will be welcomed to the Diocese in September.
You can also download this text (plus some other information about the veneration of relics) in pdf format here.
More about the veneration of relics can be found here. |
