Thérèse of Lisieux Relics Arrive to England

(September 19, 2009) St. Thérèse of Lisieux's relics arrived to England by the Euro-tunnel on Tuesday afternoon, beginning a month-long visit to the United Kingdom. From now until October 16, the relics will visit 28 different places, including numerous Catholic cathedrals and parishes, an Anglican cathedral -- for the first time -- a university chaplaincy, a prison and a hospice for the dying. The official journey began on Wednesday in St. John's Cathedral in Portsmouth, and will end in London. These two cities are significant because St. Thérèse, as a girl, made a drawing of England and named those two points on the map. While numerous pilgrims filled the city to receive the relics, there was also among them a welcome committee made up of religious, school children, journalists and other individuals. The reliquary was carried by six men to the door of the cathedral, where it was received by Bishop Crispian Hollis of Portsmouth. Later, hundreds of children who carried flags, roses and candles went to pray with St. Thérèse. The saint had said that after her death a rain of roses would fall on the earth, and for this reason many people carry roses to the pilgrimage sites of her relics and ask for a blessing. A Mass was celebrated in Portsmouth cathedral on Wednesday, presided over by Bishop Hollis, which included anointing of the sick. It is estimated that some 2,000 pilgrims visited, including young and elderly people, the sick, believers of several religions and non-believers. St. Thérèse of Lisieux's relics have visited more than 40 countries, including: Brazil, Russia, Burkina Faso and Iraq.