The Little Flower among us: St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s relics grace Shrine Basilica

Archbishop Weisenburger asks the faithful to think of the ‘little ways’ they can live out holiness as eight-day pilgrimage begins

ROYAL OAK — It was a stunning scene at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak, rose petals descending from the ceiling, the Joshua Chorale in full voice, a host of clergy in procession, following the relics of the basilica’s patroness, St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

The Little Flower returned to her namesake basilica Oct. 1 for her feast day. This was the beginning of an eight-day stop in Royal Oak, part of a national tour in which the faithful have the opportunity to venerate the relics of St. Therese contained in an ornate chest.

An estimated 500 people attended the second Mass of the pilgrimage stop at 7 p.m., celebrated by Detroit Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger. Detroit Archbishop-emeritus Allen H. Vigneron celebrated a 3 p.m. Mass earlier in the day.

“What an incredible joy to be here,” Archbishop Weisenburger said at the start of Mass, with the relics of St. Thérèse placed next to the altar. “I think all of us men and women of faith know that when we are at Mass, we are truly in the presence of our risen Lord and savior, and yet, to be in the presence of the relics of our beloved St. Thérèse of Lisieux, to be in her presence, is to magnify that true presence of Christ, where we see the holiness of our God, as it has come to life in one who has journeyed well.”

Pilgrimage organizers expect as many as 50,000 people to visit the Shrine Basilica from Oct. 1 to 8 to venerate St. Thérèse's relics.

A team of 15 parish staff and volunteers, with an extended team of up to 400 people, got to work planning the logistics of hosting a pilgrimage for such a crowd. Organizers said an estimated 25,000 to 40,000 visitors graced the Shrine’s campus the last time the relics were there for just one day, 26 years ago.

“Now we have the relics for eight days, so we're thinking about what level of crowds we would have for a sustained period, how do we think about logistics, how do we think about the number of volunteers we need, about publicizing this,” Harry Kemp, co-chair of the volunteer team along with his wife, Leslie, told Detroit Catholic.

Kemp said the parish has been working with basilica's rector, Fr. John Bettin, for 10 months, praying and planning how to accommodate such a large crowd for an extended period.

“We’ve been praying that everyone here would have a meaningful encounter with the Lord through the intercession of St. Thérèse,” Kemp said. “I’m so proud of the work that we’ve done in the schools, both the elementary, middle and high school, to prepare our students for this and what it means to venerate relics.

“Couple that with this being the 100th anniversary of the parish (the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica was founded in 1925, the first parish in the U.S. named for St. Thérèse of Lisieux), and we’re really focusing on the spirituality of the Little Way, what it means for all of us,” Kemp said.

Archbishop Weisenburger reflected in his homily on how great it was to see so many priests, religious and lay faithful across the Archdiocese of Detroit gathered at the basilica on the feast of St. Thérèse, during the centennial celebration and in the Jubilee Year of Hope.

Archbishop Weisenburger quoted Catholic theologian and author Matthew Kelly from his book “Rediscovering the Saints,” on the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

“These female Catholic saints never cease to amaze me,” Archbishop Weisenburger said, quoting Kelly. “They were elegant and dignified, kind and courageous, confident and deliberate, humble and honest. They were strong-willed and, at the same time, had the beauty of self-control. They were incredible thinkers, prayerful giants. And their love knew no limits, as demonstrated most especially by their empathy and compassion for others. Thérèse of Lisieux is just one example of many.”

Archbishop Weisenburger commented on the amazing impact St. Thérèse had in the life of the Church, despite her short time in religious life.

“She entered the convent at 15, as most of you know, and was dead by the time she was 24,” Archbishop Weisenburger said. “Nine years, and look what she accomplished. The spiritual legacy she leaves behind is profound, and if I were to imitate, mimic the words of Matthew Kelly: She is truly a spiritual giant.”

Archbishop Weisenburger recounted how St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s spirituality of “The Little Way” once inspired a Lenten resolution he had to reach out every day to a person from his past and call them on the telephone to check up on them.

“It was a small thing that came to me through the Holy Spirit and her intercession, and I can tell you several times when I called people from my past, my distant past, they ended up in tears, delighted that I reached out,” Archbishop Weisenburger said. “And on one occasion, after I finished the phone call, I found myself in tears.”

“It’s good for us to be here,” Archbishop Weisenburger concluded. “It’s good for us to venerate her. It’s good for us to remember and celebrate being in the presence of such an incredible relic. It beautifully points the way to her beloved Savior. But let us not leave here tonight without asking, simply in our hearts, ‘Thérèse, inspire me to show me a way that I can do the small things in life with great, great love and thereby join with you in redeeming the world.’”

At the end of Mass, Fr. Bettin thanked the host of volunteers who made a pilgrimage for such a large group of people possible.

Kemp said the eight-day visit is a great opportunity for the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica community to show off the parish to outsiders as they come to venerate the relics.

“It’s a gift to be a place that is a center of renewal of our collective faith,” Kemp said. “And it’s a responsibility because we want to make sure every person's experiences point them toward an encounter with the Lord. So it’s a tremendous opportunity for us to evangelize in the way of St. Thérèse by providing a beautiful experience for them.”

For the faithful gathered on Oct. 1, the opportunity to venerate the relics of St. Thérèse at a parish named for the Little Flower was an incredible blessing.

“I was introduced to St. Thérèse in college, and I think she’s a perfect saint for a lot of people, but especially for young people,” said Lexa Davis, a young adult from St. Anastasia Parish in Troy. “I found her really relatable and perfect for intercession, so that’s where my devotion to her started.”

The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica is adorned with relics of St. Thérèse and her parents, Sts. Louise and Zelle Martin, year-round, but Davis said it was a special opportunity to have the reliquary containing most of her earthly remains at the parish.

“To have the chest — it looks like a casket when they brought it in — tonight felt like both a wedding and a funeral,” Davis said. “The rose petals falling from the ceiling — it’s such a dramatic celebration to be here and even more so to feel her presence. The images of her are around the church as well. It was a truly moving experience.”

Catholics from far and wide are expected to visit the basilica from now until Oct. 8. The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica is the only Michigan stop on the tour; the second-closest stop is in Wisconsin.

Matthew Anderson of St. Mary, Star of the Sea Parish in Jackson, in the Diocese of Lansing, traversed three county lines in making the 90-minute trip to Royal Oak to see the relics of St. Thérèse. Anderson encourages anyone and everyone to make the trip.

“It’s a once-in-two-decade opportunity,” Anderson said. “St. Thérèse’s relics are not always on tour, and they’re not always here. Most of the time, you have to go to France to see them. It’s a wonderful opportunity to draw so close to the remains of a saint physically.

“At the start of Mass, to see the shower of rose petals at the beginning, just to see that symbol,” Anderson continued, “St. Thérèse promised that when she was in heaven, she would shower down roses from heaven. So, seeing that physically made present was beautiful.”