Mixed feelings on relics

Sydney
24 March 2002

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Mixed feelings on relics

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Mixed feelings on relics

By Johanna Bennett

She is known as ‘The Little Flower’, or St Thérèse of the Roses, and is loved by millions the world over.

There was even a 1956 pop song about her, but nevertheless, the arrival of her relics arouses mixed feelings in many. Indeed, some people may even be offended by the very idea of relics.

This is something Bishop Peter Ingham, whose diocese of Wollongong will host the relics from this Monday, when they arrive in NSW, has given much thought to.

“We need to get relics into perspective and recognise that God has always communicated with human beings in physical, tangible ways,” said Bishop Ingham.

Jesus himself is a prime example, as are the sacraments, which use water and oil, wine and bread.

Jesus’ healing touch, which included his clothes, is another example. Matthew’s Gospel tells of the sick woman who, not daring to approach Jesus, touched his hem and was cured.

But despite some people’s qualms, many people have already derived much benefit from praying at the young saint’s reliquary – she was just 24 when she died of tuberculosis. Her relics have been touring the world over the past five years, since the centenary of her death, and have drawn huge crowds.

More than half the population turned out for her in Ireland; and the relics drew crowds in their thousands in Quebec, Canada, last year.

And when her reliquary arrived in Perth – the first stop on the Australian tour – thousands turned out in the early morning to greet her. They also snapped up the special print-run of her little book, Story of a Soul, which sold out within one-and-a-half hours.

The book, Thérèse’s spiritual autobiography, has been a religious bestseller since it was published soon after her death and has been translated into 60 languages – no mean achievement for a cloistered Carmelite nun who died in a small convent in the village of Lisieux in France, having spent just nine years there.

Bishop Ingham says it helps to regard visiting the relics in a similar way to visiting our parents’ or grandparents’ graves, or even, say, wearing our grandmother’s ring. “It reminds us of her and makes us grateful for her influence on our lives.”

Similarly with pilgrimages, when people visit the grave or shrine of a saint, the saint and his or her witness of Jesus becomes more real to the pilgrim.

Bishop Ingham sees the tour of the relics as a pilgrimage in reverse.

Thérèse herself had always wanted to travel to the missions, but her poor health prevented this. Now she’s a witness to Jesus all over the world.

“Her wish is being fulfilled in a most curious way a century after her death,” said Bishop Ingham.

Supported by Carmelite communities and parishes across Australia, the relics will visit rural NSW after their sojourn in Sydney and then go to Noumea in early May.

Fr Aloysius Rego, a Discalced Carmelite priest who teaches theology at Yarra Theological Union, says Thérèse’s special appeal lies in her “leading us to God by the ordinary way”.

In our daily grind we find we are not made of the stuff of saints and this dilemma can lead us to settle for spiritual mediocrity, he said.

“Thérèse does not intimidate us with spiritual heroics. She teaches us how our everyday humdrum life, with its sufferings and joys, is the place where we are given the possibility of drawing near God.”

St Thérèse’s relics arrive at St Mary’s Cathedral at 9.30am on Sunday, April 7. They leave for Parramatta diocese at 9.30am the next day. St Mary’s Cathedral will be open to all for the 24 hours the relics are there.

More information on St Thérèse of Lisieux is available on the national website www.therese2002.com, including all the details of the reliquary’s itinerary.