Bishops prepare evangelisation drive ahead of saint's relics tour

BY ANNA ARCO
THE BISHOPS of England and Wales are on the verge of launching a large scale programme of re-evangelisation and catechesis ahead of the visit of St Therese of Liseux's relics next year.
An itinerary for the relics, which are scheduled to come to England and Wales in the autumn of 2009, is due to be released in September, weeks before her feast day on October 1.
The bishops hope to foster a renewal of faith' though the visit of the bones of the popular saint.
When St Therese's relics were brought to Ireland in 2001, 70 per cent of all Irish Catholics were reported to have flocked to venerate her bones.
The sick , the young and those looking for a path in life are being specially called to come to venerate the relics of the 19th century Carmelite. The programme of catechesis is being launched a year ahead of the saint's visit to educate the faithful.
The initiative will be led by Bishop Arthur Roche of Leeds and Bishop Malcolm McMahon of Nottingham and is being organised by a group which includes some Carmelites.
Cardinal Cormac MurphyO'Connor asked for the relics of St Therese to come to England and Wales earlier this year on behalf of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. The relics are due to come to England and Wales for the first time from September 16 to October 7 2009.
When the news was released earlier this year, the Cardinal said: "I am delighted that the relics of St Therese are coming to visit England and Wales next year. I have always been deeply moved by St Therese's Little Way. It is in fidelity to the small things of everyday life animated by the love of Christ that we achieve true holiness. I am sure that the intercession of St Therese will be of great spiritual benefit to the people of our country."
The remains of the popular Carmelite nun famed for her spin-. tuality have travelled around the world in the last 15 years, visiting 40 countries and drawing large crowds to venerate the relics. Her relics and legacy are considered so important that the reliquary. a casket holding her bones, was taken to Iraq in 2002 in the hopes of fostering peace.
St Therese of Lisieux is perhaps best known for her road to holiness called the Little Way which places emphasis on simple obedience to the duties of every day life and a dependence on God's goodness. She was canonised in 1925 and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1997 by Pope John Paul II.
Born in Northern France in 1873, St Therese joined the Carmelite Convent at Lisieux where she became assistant novice mistress in 1893. Only four years later, in 1897, she died of tuberculosis. Before she died her spiritual director persuaded her to dictate her autobiography The Story of a Soul which she did under her vow of obedience. The book was translated into a number of languages and gained tremendous popularity and devotion to the saint.
The miracles of healing attributed to St Therese began almost immediately after her death, fulfilling a prophecy she had made saying she would "let fail a shower of roses on the earth". She also wrote in her notebooks that she wanted "to be a missionary, not just for a few years but until the end of time". She is the patroness of the Missions and Pope Pius X considered her to be one of the greatest saints of modem times.
On Tuesday Pope Benedict approved the beatification of St Therese's parents Louis and Marie Zelie Guerin Martin. The announcement said that it was scheduled to take place on October 19 during a Mass at the Basilica of St Therese in France.
The Martins were declared venerable, one of the first steps in the sainthood process, in 1994. But despite the active encouragement of Pope John Paul II to move the Cause forward, the miracle needed for their beatification was not approved by the Vatican until early July. Louis lived from 1823 to 1894 and his wife lived from 1831 to 1877. They had nine children, five of whom joined religious orders.