Thousands pay respects to St. Therese relics ‘

By Mydz Supnad

VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur -- The “visit” in Ilocos region of the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux, also called St. Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, who is the patron saint of gardeners, missionaries, aviators, tuberculosis sufferers, florists and among others is going on smoothly with local folks flocking to pay respects.

The visit of relics of Saint Therese of Lisieux, now  for the third time in the Philippines for a four-month tour, came at a time when the country was struck by super typhoons, flooding and other calamity that caused the loss of lives of more than 1,000 recently in Mindanao.

The relics arrived Jan. 3 with the “visit” set to Jan. 18.  The relics were in Laoag City Jan. 3 to 6 and Nueva Segovia, Vigan City from Jan. 6 to 9.

It was scheduled  Jan. 12 to 13 in San Fernando City;Jan. 13 to 16 in Lingayen Dagupan City and Jan. 16 to 18 in Urdaneta City.

Ilocos Police director Chief Supt. Franklin Jesus B. Bucayu said they set guidelines on security and support services during visit of the relics which are bone fragments of the beloved saint housed in a special reliquary and venerated by the faithful as a reminder of St There’s life and spirituality.

The military ordinariate, which ministers to Roman Catholics in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, is hosting this year’s tour of the relics, which were earlier brought to the country in 2000 and 2008.

Under a rain of rose petals and confetti from a Philippine Air Force chopper, seminarians, priests, nuns, soldiers and lay devotees accompanied the relics in a procession to The Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus at Newport City, Pasay.

From Newport, the relics will be open for viewing this month at Villamor, Fort Bonifacio, Camp Crame,

Camp Aguinaldo, AFP Medical Center, Veterans Memorial Medical Center and the dioceses of Novaliches, Cubao, Pasig and Antipolo.

Born in 1873, St. Therese of Lisieux, also called St. Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, is the patron saint of missionaries, aviators, tuberculosis sufferers, florists and gardeners, among others.

She joined the cloistered Carmelite community in Lisieux, Normandy, France at the age of 15.

She was beatified in 1923, canonized in 1925 and later declared one of the patrons of France.