The relics of St. Therese of Lisieux otherwise known as “the little flower” have just visited England for the first time. She was a 19th century saint born into the holy Martin family. In fact her parents Mr and Mrs Martin have just been beatified early this year. She died of Tuberculosis on 30th of September 1897 aged 24, was canonised by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and declared patroness of the missions in 1927. In 1997, she was declared doctor of the church by Pope John Paul II and her feast day is the 1st of October. St Therese died in relative obscurity, but over the years her teaching and influence has steadily grown in influence and in popularity with over a 100,000 miracles attributed to her intercession, hence now one of our most popular and powerful saints.

St. Therese said; “ I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth” and “after my death I will let fall from heaven a shower of roses”. The “roses” that St. Therese referred to in the prophecy quoted above is the term used to describe her miracles and favours and things have happened exactly as she said. As St. Therese coffin was passing through carmel on her death, the scent of roses filled the air, a paralysed soldier regained the use of his legs, a blind girl regained her sight.

I can personally attest to her powerful intercession for the answers to my prayer which she has done in a very special way. The journey of her relics in England began on the 16th of September to the 15th of October. Traditionally, her novena of the 24 glory be’s or any other novena to her (i.e. as a result of her 24 years of age) begins on the 9th of every month to the 17th. I started this novena before my trip to Portsmouth to welcome her relics on the 16th. My plan was to round up in London if time permitted, which I did. Uncannily, I did not know that as a child, St. Therese drew the map of England and the only 2 towns she showed on the map was Portsmouth from where her journey began and London where it ended. I was at the 2 towns for the veneration of her relics. Around the 4th or 5th day of my novena, I received a bunch of roses via email with a special prayer for me from a most unlikely source! Again before the trip to Westminster cathedral with the St. Margaret’s group, I started another novena of thanksgiving for answered prayers and alas, another set of roses, very uncanny! Right now I can comfortably say that St. Therese does not mince words, as long as you have faith in her powerful intercessions and believe that God uses her to answer our prayers, she will not disappoint you.

Article by Chioma Nwosu

Photography by Jim Polland