Retreat center to host relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
On the same day that Discalced Carmelite Father Marc Foley offered his presentation on St. Thérèse of Lisieux in Stella Maris Retreat Center, Sept. 5, as part of the retreat center’s Year of Faith spirituality series, the call came advising that the retreat center had been chosen to host the national tour of the relics of St. Thérèse from the Carmelite Monastery, Lisieux, France.
The tour, which began in August in Las Vegas, and is hosted by the Pontifical Mission Society, includes the actual writing desk, pen and ink well used by St. Thérèse for her writings, including “The Story of a Soul.” The beloved saint, one of four women Doctors of the Church and the patron saint of missions, used the writing desk almost daily between 1894 until her death from tuberculosis in September 1897.
As part of the tour, Oblate Father Andrew Small, national director, Pontifical Mission Societies of the United States, will speak on St. Thérèse and the missions so dear to her, in Stella Maris Retreat Center, Long Branch, on Oct. 22, 7- 9 p.m.
Serving as an unexpected prelude to the relics’ visit, Father Foley’s talk, “St. Thérèse of Lisieux: The Context of Holiness,” stressed that because the young saint shares common experiences of the human condition with the faithful, the “The Little Flower,” can be an important role model in modern times.
Father Foley meticulously explained, through anecdotes and quotes from St. Thérèse’s books, how she grew in holiness despite her emotional problems. He framed his talk on St. Thérèse’s psychic wounds from a spiritual perspective. The three realities, he said, that had the greatest imprint upon her life were the death of her mother, Zélie, her scrupulosity and her trial of faith that “were the cause of deep emotional suffering, but were also the context in which she responded to grace.”
Reflecting on the joys and struggles faced by St. Thérèse, Father Foley stressed, “Neither physical illnesses nor periods of spiritual darkness are obstacles to spiritual growth. All of them are aspects of the human condition in which we are called to respond to God’s grace.”
Father Small, who has accompanied the relics on tour through 20 dioceses, coast to coast, acknowledged, “In this Year of Faith, we hope to inspire others by the writings of St. Thérèse, through which she taught about the faith and supported missionaries in the work of evangelization.”
Due to limited space, pre-registration for the Oct. 22 event is necessary. To register call 732-229-0602 or email [email protected].
Chris Donahue, associate editor of The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, contributed to this article.
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On the same day that Discalced Carmelite Father Marc Foley offered his presentation on St. Thérèse of Lisieux in Stella Maris Retreat Center, Sept. 5, as part of the retreat center’s Year of Faith spirituality series, the call came advising that the retreat center had been chosen to host the national tour of the relics of St. Thérèse from the Carmelite Monastery, Lisieux, France.
The tour, which began in August in Las Vegas, and is hosted by the Pontifical Mission Society, includes the actual writing desk, pen and ink well used by St. Thérèse for her writings, including “The Story of a Soul.” The beloved saint, one of four women Doctors of the Church and the patron saint of missions, used the writing desk almost daily between 1894 until her death from tuberculosis in September 1897.
As part of the tour, Oblate Father Andrew Small, national director, Pontifical Mission Societies of the United States, will speak on St. Thérèse and the missions so dear to her, in Stella Maris Retreat Center, Long Branch, on Oct. 22, 7- 9 p.m.
Serving as an unexpected prelude to the relics’ visit, Father Foley’s talk, “St. Thérèse of Lisieux: The Context of Holiness,” stressed that because the young saint shares common experiences of the human condition with the faithful, the “The Little Flower,” can be an important role model in modern times.
Father Foley meticulously explained, through anecdotes and quotes from St. Thérèse’s books, how she grew in holiness despite her emotional problems. He framed his talk on St. Thérèse’s psychic wounds from a spiritual perspective. The three realities, he said, that had the greatest imprint upon her life were the death of her mother, Zélie, her scrupulosity and her trial of faith that “were the cause of deep emotional suffering, but were also the context in which she responded to grace.”
Reflecting on the joys and struggles faced by St. Thérèse, Father Foley stressed, “Neither physical illnesses nor periods of spiritual darkness are obstacles to spiritual growth. All of them are aspects of the human condition in which we are called to respond to God’s grace.”
Father Small, who has accompanied the relics on tour through 20 dioceses, coast to coast, acknowledged, “In this Year of Faith, we hope to inspire others by the writings of St. Thérèse, through which she taught about the faith and supported missionaries in the work of evangelization.”
Due to limited space, pre-registration for the Oct. 22 event is necessary. To register call 732-229-0602 or email [email protected].
Chris Donahue, associate editor of The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, contributed to this article.
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