Relics of Family of Saints to visit St Mel’s Cathedral, Longford
As we look forward to the World Meeting of Families, Relics of Saints Louis and Zelie Martin and their daughter, Saint Therese of Lisieux will visit St Mel’s Cathedral, Longford from 11am on Thursday 9th August until 8a.m. on Friday 10th August 2018.
During that time, people will have an opportunity to come and venerate the Relics of the family that embodies what is best in family life and they offer a wonderful example of what a family can become.
St Therese of Lisieux, otherwise known as The Little Flower is one of the most popular saints in the history of the Church and Pope St Pius X called her “the greatest saint of modern times”. At a young age, she felt the call to religious life and at the age of fifteen, she became a nun and joined two of her older sisters in the cloistered Carmelite Community in Lisieux in Normandy. After nine years as a religious, she died at the young age of twenty four and she was canonised a saint in 1925. Her feast day is 1st October.
Three years ago, Pope Francis canonised her parents and they were the first spouses in the history of the Church to be canonised as a couple. We look forward to welcoming the Relics of this special family to St Mel’s Cathedral and further details about the visit will be available in the coming weeks.
Prayer for the Family
Father in heaven, you called Saints Zelie and Louis Martin to holiness through their married life. You gave them as Mother and Father to St Therese of Lisieux. Through their intercession, we ask you to bless married couples, bless our children and grandchildren. Guide us as citizens to make the kind of decisions that will support family life. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. AMEN