On the vigil of the feast of Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, a commemorative plaque was dedicated to mark the house at 7 rue Labbey, Lisieux, where Louis lived after he left the Bon Sauveur hospital in Caen in May 1892.  Susan Ehlert and the house's present owners, Mme. Anne-Marie Hervieu and M. Jacques Hervieu, graciously made available photos of the house and plaque and a film of the ceremony, including a view of the garden where Louis spent so much time.  See film and photos of the dedication of the plaque at 7 rue Labbey.

The article "Blessed Zelie and Louis Martin: Companions on Our Journey," by Maureen O'Riordan, appears in Spanish as "Beatos Celia Guerin y Luis Martin: Compañeros en nuestro Viaje" to celebrate the second feast of the blessed parents of St. Therese of the Child Jesus of the Holy Face.  This article was first published to celebrate their beatication in 2008.  Special thanks to Teolindo Garcia for translating it into Spanish. 

On May 5, 2010 the South African Catholic Bishops' Conference announced that the relics of St. Therese will make their first visit to South Africa while that country hosts the 2010 FIFA World Cup.  The itinerary is still being finalized, but the relics are to arrive on June 25 and remain in the country for six weeks.  

St. Therese loved God very much in her humanity.  Pray that God sends a rain of graces to South Africa as it receives what remains of that humanity. 

October 13, 2009:  In honor of the visit of the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux to Great Britain and of "Little Way Week" (October 18-24 in Great Britain), I am posting an audio in two parts of my conference "A Map of St. Therese's Way of Confidence and Love" for personal use until October 24, 2009.  I invite visitors from around the world to join in solidarity with the Church in Great Britain in observing "Little Way Week," which begins on World Mission Sunday. 

The conference is copyright 2009 by Maureen O'Riordan and all rights are reserved; please do not download it or reproduce it, but feel free to listen to it here.  Each part is less than half an hour. 

 Part One

On the feast of St. Therese I rejoice with the people of Great Britain in all the graces they are receiving during the "reverse pilgrimage" of the relics of St. Therese  and with the friends of St. Therese all over the world.  May I ask two feast-day favors of my readers?

First, on October 12 the reliquary will visit the Wormwood Scrubs prison in London.  The Catholic Herald  reports that inspectors recently found that the prison had deteriorated and that gang activity had increased.  Will you please join in prayer with and for the prisoners and ask God to permit the visit of the reliquary of St. Therese to open a new era of nonviolence for everyone associated with the prison?  I invite you  all to join in "days of solidarity" between Therese's feast and October 12, and to pray fervently before and during the visit that it will be a turning point in the spiritual history of the prison.

Second, I ask your prayers for a personal intention: the healing of my sister, who is seriously ill. 

May we celebrate St. Therese not only by admiring her but also by casting ourselves, as she did, into "the abysses of love and mercy of the Heart of Jesus."