The bone relics of St. Th茅r猫se of Lisieux, also known as St. Th茅r猫se of the Child Jesus, had an overnight visit at the Sant铆simo Rosario Parish Church (UST Chapel) from April 13 to 14, 2023.
The votive mass was presided by UST Museum Director Rev. Fr. Isidro Aba帽o, O.P., while , Sant铆simo Rosario Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Paul Reagan O. Talavera, O.P., served as the homilist.
In his homily, Fr. Talavera, who himself is a devotee of St. Th茅r猫se, said 鈥淚t is with great joy that we welcome tonight the pilgrim relics of St. Th茅r猫se of the Child Jesus, especially as we are still in the Octave of Easter, a moment and season in which we remember and rejoice at the resurrected Lord.鈥�
St. Th茅r猫se is among the famous saints who lived in the 19th century. Being the youngest among nine children (five of whom survived childhood) of the Martin couple (Louis and Marie Az茅lie), St. Th茅r猫se grew up in a pious family where she developed an intense desire to enter religious life. With several failed attempts, St. Th茅r猫se was granted permission to enter Carmel at the tender age of 16 joining her older siblings in the community of Lisieux. In 1890, she made her full profession on the birth date of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In April 1896, St. Th茅r猫se fell gravely ill and was confined to the infirmary where she spent her time writing her story by the request of her Mother Prioress. The following year, she died at the age of 24. Her final words are, 鈥淥h, my God, I love you!鈥�
She was canonized on May 17, 1925, and was declared Doctor of the Church by St. John Paul II on October 17, 1997.
The visit鈥檚 theme, 鈥淟akbay Tayo, St. Th茅r猫se! Ka-alagad, Kaibigan, Ka-misyon,鈥� centered on seeking the intercession of St. Th茅r猫se as the Church celebrates the Synod on Synodality.
The intricate reliquary of St. Th茅r猫se is called the Centennial Reliquary made during the centenary of the Saint鈥檚 death in 1997.
The relics have been on tour to different archdioceses and dioceses in the Philippines since its arrival on January 2, 2023鈥搕he 150th birth anniversary of the Saint. While this was the 5th visit of the bone relics to the country, this was the first time it was housed at the UST Chapel. The pilgrimage of the relics of St. Th茅r猫se in the Philippines ended on April 30, 2023, which happens to be the centennial anniversary of her beatification.
