ST. TERESA AND PRINCES RISBOROUGH

An Answered Prayer
From a Correspondent Saint Teresa of Lisieux seems to adopt some of her clients and show her special care of them in very obvious ways. That this is the case with the new parish priest of Princes Risborough has been proved many times, but most dramatically during the last fortnight.
A few months ago Father F. M. Drcves was asked to undertake the difficult work of being first resident priest of Princes Risborough. Knowing that it would be hard, perhaps because it would be hard, he accepted. On acceptance he found that the church, such as it was, in the new parish, was dedicated to his little Saint. But that church was a small tin hut, shabby, leaking, and " unworthy of God," It had been Father Dreve's ambition all his life to build a church for the Little Flower, and his opportunity had been given to him.
The Petition His immediate action was to go to Lisieux to make a retreat and to beg for the Saint's help. He came away having asked from her that she should find £3,000 for a new church by the end of October. He had no idea at all where the money would come from, but his faith was quite unwavering that it would somehow come.
October came and still the saint gave no inkling of her intentions. " She keeps me at my prayers," he wrote.
The Answer
On Sunday, October 4, the Feast of the Saint was kept with all possible ceremony
in the tiny church. Late that evening a Stranger called, a young man who happened to be staying nearby. He saw the priest and the church, and went away. On the following Sunday, after Benediction, he returned and, with another stranger, told the priest that they were putting £3,000 for the new church at his immediate disposal.
Last Wednesday was the day appointed for the opening, at Princes Risborough, of a beautiful new shrine to the Little Flower, the gift of an anonymous donor. Monsignor Canon Tonks presided at the ceremony, and Father Vernon Johnson was the special preacher.
Father Drevcs took the opportunity of announcing to the crowded congregation the wonderful answer to his prayer. " There are moments in one's life," he said, " when words fail to express the heart's sentiments. All I can do is to ask you all to take refuge with rue in a two minutes of silent and grateful prayer for the marvellous answer to my petition."