Thursday, 19 May 2011

SPES in " The Little Way " to Lisieux

SPES has received an invitation to meet Therese at Lisieux last week. Deanna and I joined this pilgrimage with Monsignor Keith Barltrop, Parish Priest of St Mary of the Angels, Bayswater, who organized in 2009 the visit in England of the relics of Therese and all the parishioners of Ealing Abbey and St Patrick Church, Wapping. We stayed in L’Hermitage, a guest house close to the Carmel Convent.

From her writings “The Story of a Soul” to

a real journey to Lisieux to came to know and understand more deeply Therese’s life and her message “The little way” is the path of hope and saintliness, it is the path of confidence and abandonment, …”of the child who sleeps without fear in the arms of his Father.”

We visited very important places in Therese’s life, St Therese’s family settled in this house. Therese spent her chilhood here.

This is the room where Therese was cured of a serious illness by the smile of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Saint Peter's Cathedral where Therese sat every Sunday at Mass and where she received the grace of understanding to her missionary vocation. The main altar was donated by her father ( Louis Martin). Near the entrance of the chapel where Therese made her first confession.

The Basilica of Saint Therese where mosaics illustrate the message of St Therese and also the relics of St Therese are displayed there.

We had Mass and also we said Vespers with the Carmelite nuns, we had access also to the reliquary.

These 3 days were a blessed experience for Deanna and I which we want to share and to pray with Therese asking for her intercession and her teaching “ The Father doesn’t need our great deeds, but only our love”.

St Therese of the Child Jesus –

Pray for us

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