St. Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face

Recently  the  relics of  St. Therese of Lisieux visited Cebu. A reversal of pilgrimage as the remains of the humble saint visited her devotees instead of her pilgrims visiting her at the Sanctuary of Lisieux in France, a show of the saint’s love for her devotees.

At this second visit of the relics, the first being in 2000, the monastery was filled with students, young professionals, members of various religious groups, and the faithful, hoping to get a glimpse of the reliquary and express their veneration to the Little Flower.

Couple Maricar and James of Cebu City said that the visit of St. Therese’s remains helped them in affirming their faith to God. “She submitted herself to God. She taught us how to love in small and ordinary ways,” Maricar said. Their devotion to the Little Flower started when Maricar’s sister entered the Carmelite monastery in 1994 and since then has been inspired by the teachings of the young saint.

“The miracle of St. Therese is in her writings which have converted people into the Catholic faith,” said Elenor Mendoza, a member of the Legion of St. Therese and a devotee since birth. “Her love for God inspires us to do the same. She has taught me how to humble myself and to express my love for God even in little ways,” Mendoza further explained.

Sr. Mary Siena of the Order of the Society of the Angel of Peace said that for St. Therese, the Child Jesus was a friend. Having entered the convent at a pretty young age of 15, St. Therese showed her love for the Child Jesus through her humble devotion. “A friend is someone that you want to see often, and you can tell that person your personal biases and concerns,” Sr. Mary said in Cebuano. “If you would also see St. Therese as a friend, you would constantly experience her presence.” Sr. Mary revealed that St. Therese offered everything that she did to God. “In her little way, she offered a sacrifice for the conversion of grace, even in picking up the leaves that would fall to the ground,” she said. Sr. Mary further pointed out what is amazing with the saint is the fact that in her entire life as a Carmelite sister, St. Therese stayed in the monastery yet she was declared as the Co-Patron of Missions together with St. Francis Xavier and the youngest Doctor of the Church, a title given to someone who has contributed to the doctrine of the church.  “It is because of her prayers and through her writings which revealed her reverence to God that touches the lives of the faithful and converts many to the (Catholic) faith,” Sr. Mary concluded.

For Mrs. Walding Ouano-Baring, the founding President of the Legion of St. Therese, the importance of St. Therese to her devotees is her capacity to change the heart and mind of the unbelievers. “Her words are very powerful. ‘I will spend heaven doing good here on earth,’ this changed my life,” Mrs. Baring said. “Since her first visit, she has helped the Lord grant me my three important wishes,” she said humbly adding that these wishes are too personal for her to reveal.

In life St. Therese stayed in the confines of the monastery, but in death she traveled the globe spreading the good news of the love of the Child Jesus and converting many to the Catholic faith.

The reliquary will travel in 20 locations in the Philippines ending at the National Shrine of St. Therese in Villamor Air Base, Pasay City on March 9 to 13.