Near-freezing temperatures and howling winds weren’t enough to deter a long line of pilgrims from huddling outside the entrance to Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Winchester Nov. 26.
When the doors finally opened a few minutes after 7 p.m., Mary Gohn joined the throng who rushed inside to prepare for the arrival of the relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, beloved Doctor of the Church. “This is one of the biggest events of my life,” said Gohn, a parishioner of Sacred Heart. “I want to throw every intention I have in front of St.Thérèse tonight.”
St. Thérèse’s status as one of the church’s most popular saints was evident, as worshippers filled the pews an hour before the Mass in her honor. “My wife and I are converts and this is our first mystical experience,” said Jonathan Bowles, who drove from Warrenton. “We admire the witness of the saints and the miraculous nature of their lives, and we just wanted to experience that for ourselves. St. Thérèse sets a roadmap for us to follow.”
Born in Alencon, France, in 1873, Thérèse Martin entered the Carmelite monastery at 15, taking the name Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Known for teaching the “little way” of pursuing holiness in doing small things with great love, she died at 24 of tuberculosis in 1897 and was canonized in 1925.
“The little things that we do in ordinary life — cleaning the house, making breakfast, doing chores — all those little things are ways to become closer to Christ,” said Colleen Hencken, who came with her husband and three children. “It was important for us to come in celebration of Thanksgiving as a family to honor a woman who gave her life totally to God.”
A hush fell over the church, as Father Bjorn C. Lundberg, pastor, arrived at 7:40 p.m. in a transport van with a team that escorted the large wooden and silver reliquary, containing fragments of her bones, into the narthex. After a quick change into vestments, Father Lundberg prayed over the reliquary and led the procession inside as red roses fell from the balcony to begin the votive Mass.
“When we found out St. Thérèse was coming to the U.S. and we learned that maybe there’s a chance she could come out to our part of the diocese, we were thrilled,” said Father Lundberg. “People were calling over a month beforehand wanting to come from all over the country it seemed. People really connect with her. She moves people’s hearts.”
Following Mass, pilgrims lined the center aisle and waited patiently for the opportunity to pray next to the reliquary. Many brought photos of loved ones, rosaries, and other personal items and touched them to the glass dome covering the relics.
“She came here to bless us,” said Luchi Singson. “I’m not praying for myself tonight, I’m praying for others as St. Thérèse taught us to seek humility by making sacrifices for poor souls.”
“She shows us how to have confidence in God and to rediscover how much he loves us,” said Father Lundberg. “That’s hard for us to understand. He loves you as his son, as his daughter and he rejoices in you. He loves you the way you are right now, and he wants to pour out his merciful love.”
