With great joy and excitement, it is my honor and pleasure to announce that the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica (Shrine) will host the relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux in 2025. The relics will be at Shrine for approximately one week. We have formed an executive team to manage this monumental task, and we are in the initial stages of forming the various other teams needed to make this project a great success for the Shrine community, the Archdiocese of Detroit, and the surrounding dioceses. My hope is that the relics will get through U.S. Customs in time for St. Thérèse's feast day on October 1, 2025. We will keep you posted as to our progress, and we will provide more specific information as we progress with this process through this coming year. This will be a wonderful spiritual and faith-filled experience for everyone who desires to participate in the various Masses, liturgies, events, etc. through this coming year and, especially, during the days for which the relics are present with us.
Our celebrations will continue through the following year with our centennial celebrations. We celebrate Shrine’s 100 years as a parish in April 2026. The executive team has been formed, but teams managing the various activities through the year will have to be formed.
We will publicize the members of each of these two executive teams very soon. You may be asked to serve in some capacity for either or both of these exciting and spiritually fulfilling projects. I ask that you prayerfully consider saying “Yes.” If you would like to volunteer in a particular area we will have the contact information and some form of registering as a volunteer.
In preparation for these events, we will cease praying the St. Michael prayer after each Mass and, instead, begin praying the following St. Thérèse of Lisieux prayer this weekend, October 5 and 6, 2024 and continue throughout the year:
Dearest Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy. Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God whom you loved so deeply. Loving God, you loved St. Thérèse's complete trust in your care. Help me to rely on your providential care in each circumstance of my life, especially the most difficult and stressful. I trust you, Lord. Help me to trust you more! I love you, Lord. Help me to love you more! Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.