I was there

Saint's relics attract thousands to Minster

02 October 2009

A girl places her hand against the glass case protecting the casket containing the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux in York Minster yesterday.

By Paul Jeeves (Yorkshire Post)

PILGRIMS from across the North of England descended on York Minster to witness the arrival of the relics of one of the Roman Catholic Church's best-loved saints.

As many as 2,000 people broke into spontaneous applause as the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux were carried into the Minster just after 6pm yesterday as part of their first tour of England and Wales.

The decorated casket containing the relics – which are normally kept at Lisieux in France – will stay at the cathedral for just 18 hours, so pilgrims from across the region and from as far afield as Manchester travelled to the Minster eager to pay homage.

Layla Welch and her children, 15-month-old Sonny and three-year-old Faith, who suffers from a rare kidney condition, were the first to see the relics.

Mrs Welch, 27, from Doncaster, who was also with her mother-in-law, Mary Welch, 52, said: "It was unbelievable, I was shaking all over and it was so emotional. I was in tears when Faith bent down and said a little prayer in front of the relics."

St Thérèse, who was a Carmelite nun in France, died at the age of just 24 in 1897. She gleaned a reputation throughout her short life, however, for a profound wisdom and is one of only three women recognised as Doctors of the Church.

York Minster is the only non-Roman Catholic venue to host the relics on their nationwide tour.

The casket is due to be in at Leeds Cathedral from tomorrow until Monday.

St Therese visits York

After celebrating eucharist at St Saviour, Scarborough, on this feast day of St Therese of the Child Jesus I shall travel to York Minster to join those gathering there to welcome her relics to the city this afternoon:

The programme of events during the 18-hour visit to York Minster of the Relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux on the 1st and 2nd October 2009 has been confirmed and appears below. The Relics are shown (right) during a visit to Augsburg Cathedral.

The Minster will be open continuously throughout the 18 hours.

Pilgrims of all Christian denominations and none will be welcome to the Minster to pray, spend time in the presence of the Relics and attend services and offices as detailed below.

Organised groups are asked to advise Howard Mosley on 0844 939 0016 of their estimated arrival and departure times, and the Minster may be able to offer facilities for groups to conduct their own services in a chapel between the hourly offices in the late evening and early morning.

St Wilfrid’s Roman Catholic Church in Duncombe Place (close to the Minster) will be open throughout the visit, and Roman Catholic clergy will be available there to offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation and spend time with pilgrims as they wish.

No admission charges to the Minster will apply until after the Relics’ departure, but contributions towards the costs of the visit will be welcome.

Thursday 1st October 2009
Feast of St Thérèse of Lisieux

• 5.15pm: The Minster’s Service of Choral Evensong will take place in the Nave
• 6.00pm: Arrival of the Relics at the Minster’s West Door. Relics conveyed by bearers to Lady Chapel, followed by time for prayer in the presence of the Relics.
• 7.30pm: Ecumenical Service of thanksgiving for the Malines Conversations of 1921 to 1927 between Anglicans and Roman Catholics, as commemorated in York Minster
• 10.00pm: to 12.00 midnight inclusive Offices in the Lady Chapel every hour, on the hour

Friday 2nd October 2009

• 12.00 midnight to 6.00am inclusive: Offices in the Lady Chapel every hour, on the hour
• 7.00am: The Minster’s Service of Matins will take place in the Lady Chapel
• 7.30am: The Minster’s celebration of the Eucharist will take place in the Zouche Chapel
• 8.00am and 9.00am: Offices in the Lady Chapel
• 10.00am: Office for the sick in the Lady Chapel
• 11.15am: Service in the Nave for children and young people, attended by groups from York schools, during which the Relics will be moved from the Lady Chapel to the Nave.
• 12.00 noon: Departure of the Relics from the Minster’s West Door

ENDS

For further information contact Martin Sheppard on 0844 939 0014.martins@yorkminster.org

Notes:
1. York Minster is one venue in the programme of visits throughout England and Wales at the invitation of the Roman Catholic Bishops’ Conference from the 16th September to the 12th October. It is the only non-Roman Catholic venue.
2.
3. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873 to 1897) is one of the major saints of the Roman Catholic Church, and many Christians of other traditions and denominations are influenced by her writings and her life. Dying aged just 24, she is one of only three women recognised as ‘Doctors of the Church’. The Relics are contained in a closed and decorated casket.

Relics

Material about relics in general

“Relics in the end must point beyond themselves to God, and any veneration

or honour given to them is honour to God who has crowned the saints with glory,

and who wishes to bless us through our love for, and appreciation of,

his special friends.” Fr Christopher O’Donnell, Order of Carmelites.

Pope Benedict XVI

“By inviting us to venerate the mortal remains of the martyrs and saints,

the Church does not forget that, in the end, these are indeed just human

bones, but they are bones that belonged to individuals touched by the

transcendent power of God. The relics of the saints are traces of that

invisible but real presence which sheds light upon the shadows of the

world and reveals the Kingdom of Heaven in our midst. They cry out with

us and for us ‘Maranatha!’ – ‘Come Lord Jesus!’”

(Pope Benedict XVI, Address to Young People at Cologne, 2005).

What is a relic?

A relic is either part of the physical remains of a holy person after his or her death, or an object which has been in contact with his or her body. The most important relic is that of the Cross of Jesus Christ, which is traditionally held to have been discovered by St. Helena during her famous pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 326.

The veneration of relics is found in many religions and is rooted in the natural human instinct to treat with reverence anything connected with those we love who have died.

Relics in the Bible

In the Old Testament, miracles were worked through the cloak of the prophet Elijah (2 Kg. 2:14) and the bones of his follower Elisha (2 Kg. 13:21). The New Testament speaks of healings worked by handkerchiefs that had been in contact with St. Paul’s body (Acts 19:12).

Relics in Church history

From earliest times the bodies of the martyrs were held in special veneration. The relics of St. Polycarp (69–155), for example, were described as being “more valuable than precious stones and finer than refined gold.” In Rome, prayer services were held in the catacombs, and from the fourth century, the Eucharist was celebrated over the tombs of the martyrs.

St. Jerome (345–420) explained that the relics of the martyrs are honoured for the sake of him whose martyrs they are. St. Augustine (345–430) added that their bodies were worthy of veneration since they served them during their lifetime as organs of the Holy Spirit. The Second Council of Nicaea (787) laid down that no Church should be consecrated without relics of saints being placed in the altar stone. This was re-affirmed by the Catholic Church in the 1977 “Rite of Dedication of a Church.”

More than bones

An Irish bishop, reflecting on the visit of St. Thérèse’s relics to Ireland in 2001, said that the casket contained “not just bones” but “the remains of a burnt-out love for God.”

Why venerate relics today?

There are two main reasons for venerating relics today:

1. God shows his approval of the veneration of relics by granting healings and other graces. This is especially the case with St. Thérèse, where miracles began happening at her tomb soon after her death, and have continued wherever her relics have travelled.

2. God uses a variety of physical things to strengthen our spiritual life. The creation itself helps us know something of his wisdom and love. The sacraments use bread, wine, oil, water and other physical things to give us spiritual life, provided we receive them in faith. Relics help us feel close to a holy person, thus making us more aware that the saints are our friends, and fostering in us a desire for holiness.

Portsmouth first stop

Portsmouth is first stop on UK visit of the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux

Timetable of the visit of the Relics of St Thérèse at St John’s Cathedral Portsmouth
Wednesday 16 September 2009

0930	Bishop Crispian welcomes the Relics of St Thérèse to the Cathedral and leads the Opening Liturgy (involving local Catholic schools)
1100	Bishop Crispian celebrates a Liturgy involving representatives of all the Catholic schools of the diocese
1400	Bishop Crispian celebrates Mass with Anointing of the Sick (representatives from parishes around the diocese)
1930	Bishop Crispian celebrates a Mass of Thanksgiving with Canon John Udris to preach (Dean of Northampton Cathedral)
2200	Celebration of Night Prayer All-Night Vigil based on the Stations of the Cross celebrated by representatives from the Pastoral Areas of the diocese

Thursday, 17 September 2009

0700	First Mass of the day
1000	Farewell Mass and Departure of the Relics

The Cathedral will remain open for the twenty-six hours that St Thérèse’s relics remain in Portsmouth. For further details visit the Cathedral website.

Further information and contact

St Thérèse of Lisieux - Portsmouth information (pdf)

Canon David Hopgood, Cathedral Dean
St John’s Cathedral, Edinburgh Road, Portsmouth
Tel: +44 (0) 23 9282 6613
E-mail: info@PortsmouthCatholicCathedral.org.uk
Website: portsmouthcatholiccathedral.org.uk

Issued on behalf of the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth. Contact Barry Hudd, Bishop's Press Officer.
Tel 07770 538693

What actually happens?

The relics are contained in a large, sealed casket, which will be taken round over 20 churches in England and Wales. They will remain in each place for between one and three days.

In each venue the casket will be placed on display in a prominent place. There will be a Mass and other services each day, but most of the time will be left free for people to come and venerate the relics and pray for whatever is in their hearts.

Stewards will direct you in an orderly way to come and venerate the relics. How you do that is entirely up to you. Some people like to kiss the casket, or place their hands reverently upon it, while others may prefer just to pray quietly for a few moments.

There will also be plenty of priests available to hear your Confession or give spiritual advice

Holy Relics arrive

Nun relics arrive on 28-date tour

The relics of a Roman Catholic nun described as the "greatest saint of modern times" are due to arrive in Kent before touring England and Wales.

A casket containing part of the remains of St Therese of Lisieux will arrive in Folkestone via the Channel Tunnel before a private ceremony of welcome.

The relics will then go on a month-long tour of 28 venues, starting on Wednesday at Portsmouth Cathedral.

The casket will also visit York Minster and Wormwood Scrubs prison in London.

The tour will include the Catholic cathedrals of Plymouth, Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, Salford, Lancaster, Middlesbrough, Leeds, Nottingham and Westminster.

The Catholic Church said huge crowds had flocked to see the casket, which contains portions of bones of St Therese, in the 42 countries it had visited.

St Therese, a French Carmelite nun, widely known throughout the Catholic world as the Little Flower, was born in Alencon, Normandy, and entered a Carmelite convent in Lisieux aged 15-years-old.

She became famous after her death from tuberculosis in 1897, at the age of 24, following the publication of her autobiography The Story of a Soul.

The autobiography has sold millions of copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 50 languages.

She was declared a saint in 1925 by the Catholic Church.