In rare trip from France, relics of St. Thérèse to visit Little Flower Basilica in San Antonio

The full reliquary that contains the bones of St. Thérèse of Lisieux will visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower in San Antonio Oct. 31 to Nov. 4. (OSV News photo/courtesy National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica)SAN ANTONIO — Galveston-Houston area Catholics may be interested in making an All Saints Day pilgrimage road trip to San Antonio when the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower in San Antonio hosts the major relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Oct. 31 to Nov. 4. 

As part of a national tour, the relics’ five-day visit coincides with the Church’s celebration of All Saints’ Day, Saturday, Nov. 1, and All Souls’ Day, Sunday, Nov. 2.  

Located at 1715 N. Zarzamora St., just a few miles northwest of downtown San Antonio, the Little Flower Basilica is named after St. Thérèse of Lisieux, also known as the Little Flower.   
Born in northern France, St. Thérèse was left motherless at four. She followed two older sisters into the Carmelites, entering at 15 as Sister Thérèse of the Infant Jesus. Poor health made her dream of missionary work impossible.  

In 1896, she contracted tuberculosis and died after months of suffering. Posthumous publication of her autobiography, “The Story of a Soul,” prompted popular devotion. She is remembered for her “little way” of seeking perfection in the ordinary with a simple but total trust in God. Pope Pius XI canonized St. Thérèse on May 17, 1925, less than 28 years after her death.  

With a cornerstone laid in 1929, the basilica was built during the Great Depression.

Dedicated in 1931, it was the first U.S. national shrine named in the French saint’s honor. Some 67 years later, the church was elevated to the status of minor basilica and also named to the National Register of Historic Places, both in 1998. It was the first shrine dedicated to the Little Flower named a basilica.  

The basilica is already home to several smaller relics, including three relics of St. Thérèse and relics of her parents, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin. 

But the last time St. Thérèse’s body — the reliquary contains most of her bones — was at the Little Flower Basilica in San Antonio was 1999, when more than 70,000 visited the relics. This year, the reliquary’s pilgrimage to the U.S. honors the 100th anniversary of her canonization in 1925 and of the Jubilee Year.  

The basilica’s other relics include Carmelite saints like St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Maria Maravillas de Jesús and St. Elizabeth of the Trinity.  

While the idea of relics can be a bit unnerving for some — fleeting images of dark catacombs and tunnels might come to mind — a visit with a saint’s relics can be a comforting encounter. 

The word “relic” comes from the Latin “reliquiae,” which means “remains.” First-class relics are the remains of canonized and beatified saints. Second-class relics are items that belonged to a saint, such as a shirt or pair of shoes. Third-class relics are items that a saint had touched during their lifetime, or an object — a Rosary or a prayer card — that has been touched to a first, second, or another third-class relic. 

Pilgrims should also look for a rare portrait painting of St. Thérèse, one actually painted by her actual sister, Celine. The 7-by-10-foot painting was used as part of the procession at the French saints’ canonization in 1925. The Discalced Carmelite Friars, who run the parish, welcomed the painting as a gift from their brother friars in France.  

The relics’ visit will begin on Friday, Oct. 31, at 5:45 p.m. with a welcome ceremony, followed by Mass celebrated by San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller. Seating at the Mass is expected to be limited.  

It will be the first of 13 Masses to be celebrated at the basilica throughout the four days, with times for veneration taking place between Masses. There will also be spiritual presentations, Rosaries and the Liturgy of the Hours.  

After a 6 a.m. Mariachi Mass with Mañanitas and despedida, the relics will head down I-10 to Lafayette, where the reliquary will visit the Monastery of Mary, Mother of Grace Discalced Carmelite Nuns and the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. To view the full detailed schedule, visit https://littleflowerbasilica.org/relics-2025.

Other stops on the national tour, which ends Dec. 8, include Royal Oak, Michigan; 10 dioceses in California; several Carmels in the South; Wisconsin, Washington, D.C. and nearby communities, and end in Miami. To view the full schedule, visit stthereseusa2025.com. 

– Daniel Meloy, of the Detroit Catholic, contributed to this report.