Opening of the Jubilee of Saint Thérèse in Alençon
"Thérèse's vocation to love is a source of inspiration for all souls of good will"
This Sunday, January 8, a festive day at the Sanctuary of Alençon for the opening of the Jubilee of Saint Thérèse on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of her beatification. A holy year during which pilgrims are invited, through the completion of a Jubilee journey and the crossing of the Holy Door, to personal conversion and spiritual deepening.
This anniversary day was also organized in association with Unesco, which has included the little saint in its worldwide biennium of anniversaries of personalities with whom she wishes to be associated on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of her birth in Alençon.
Back in pictures on this beautiful and holy day, which proves to us once again that Thérèse can in a very simple way make us open the door of our lives to the Lord.
From Saturday evening, a hundred people gathered during a prayer vigil in the colors of Thérèse at the Notre-Dame Basilica. A prayer vigil punctuated by texts from the story of a soul, songs, and personal devotion near the reliquary of the sanctuary. At the end of this evening, our Carmelite sisters were able to offer a blessed rose to each participant.
Sunday began at the Maison de la famille Martin with official speeches by Bishop Feillet, Bishop of Séez, Bishop Migliore, the Apostolic Nuncio to France, Mr Pueyo, the mayor of Alençon and Mr. Jallet, prefect of Orne. It was about celebrating Thérèse as a daughter of Alençon and Orne in her dimensions as a woman of culture, peace, and education, in association with UNESCO. On this occasion, Bishop Feillet showed that the deep vocation that Thérèse discovered in Carmel is undoubtedly a call that can be applied universally, this is undoubtedly why the reputation of the French saint has never ceased. to grow: Thérèse lived for 9 years in the secrecy of the life of the Carmel of Lisieux and discovered there in particular the concrete universality of her vocation in the singularity of her journey: to be love at the heart of the Church and therefore at the heart of all human life. This vocation is a source of inspiration for all souls of good will. This simple way that everyone can understand, is no less demanding. She will write in a few words a synthesis of this inner program: True charity consists in not being surprised at the faults of others and in marveling at their slightest virtue”.
Nearly 800 people then gathered at Notre-Dame Basilica for the solemn mass and the opening of the Holy Door, presided over by Bishop Célestino Migliore, the apostolic nuncio.
During his homily, the Pope's representative spoke at length about devotion to saints through relics: “The veneration we have for relics comes from a very long tradition in the Church, which goes back to the first Christian communities (…) The relics of the saints will not tell us precisely how to behave in difficult situations, will not solve our problems overnight (…) but they will certainly obtain from God the light, the insight and the determination necessary to solve them ourselves. Msgr. Migliore also presented a beautiful analogy between the holy door he had just opened and the threshold of the grotto of Bethlehem: “ Going through this door is not a purely symbolic gesture and even less magic. Each time it will be a challenge and a commitment for each of us to enter and follow a path of holiness, perhaps not of heroism and martyrdom, but of living love in ordinary everyday life, as did Saints Thérèse, Zélie and Louis Martin. It is also very significant to open the Holy Door on this feast of Epiphany which we are celebrating today. The Three Kings crossed the threshold of the grotto of Bethlehem to meet Jesus. Likewise, we will walk through this holy door to encounter and welcome Jesus into our lives and into our local communities. »
In the afternoon, the pilgrims were able to choose from various spiritual proposals such as viewing the film "Thérèse de Lisieux, a giant race", discovering the exhibition "Thérèse or the burning of love" (accessible all year round at the Basilica) and a conference by Father Thierry Hénault-Morel, rector of the Sanctuary around Thérèse. Among these proposals, the jubilee journey through the city in four stages has had some success. At the end of this route, the pilgrims were able to cross the Holy Door. (You can complete this course individually from a booklet available soon on the site of the sanctuary, or with a guide every 1st Sunday of the month at 15 p.m., departure from the Maison de la famille Martin, 50 rue Saint-Blaise in Alençon).
Throughout the week leading up to this event, the sanctuary has been widely inviting to various spiritual proposals.
Monday, January 2, anniversary of Thérèse's 150th birthday in Alençon, 3 masses were celebrated in the Sainte-Thérèse chapel, adjoining the little saint's birthplace.
On Wednesday January 4, the 150th anniversary of Thérèse's baptism, Mgr Feillet, Bishop of Séez, celebrated mass at 18 p.m. at the Notre-Dame basilica, near the baptistery where Thérèse was baptized.
In the afternoon, the Carmelite Sisters, Messengers of the Holy Spirit present at the sanctuary led a catechesis for the children around baptism. The opportunity for children to celebrate their own baptisms, rediscover their meaning and pray for their godparents.
Twice during the week, the pilgrims were also able to follow in the footsteps of Thérèse and her parents, Saints Louis and Zélie, in the town of Alençon for a spiritual journey through the places where the family lived ( Family house, Bridge of the meeting, The Pavilion…).
