| The beautiful statue of St. Therese of Lisieux, the beloved Little Flower, welcomes visitors to the National Shrine of St. Therese. This is the same statue that welcomed devotees of Therese at the the original Shrine at St. Clara's Church in Chicago which was destroyed by fire in 1975. Fortunately, the statue survived, though badly damaged. Now restored to its full glory, St. Therese with her serene and beautiful gaze continues to embrace pilgrims at this peaceful, prayerful place of pilgrimage. |
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The Shrine is home to the most wonderful collection
of relics, personal effects and memorabilia of Therese outside of France.
Visitors are facinated by viewing actual drawings by the young Therese,
her toys, her prayerbook. An especially treasured item is the chair from
Therese's cell in the convent at Lisieux.
Charming copies of photos taken by her sister Celine give pilgrims a record of the short life of Therese, the first saint whose life is documented in photographs. |
| Perhaps it is the beauty and majesty of the St. Therese Chapel that most captivates visitors. The Chapel seems to glow with light and color as sunlight filters through the stained glass windows. A story of a soul's journey to God is told in these windows and many pilgrims reflect, pray and find peace here. One finds the great men and women of Carmel - Simon Stock, Teresa of Avila, Edith Stein, Titus Bradsma and John the Cross - illuminated in these windows and can't help but feel the rich heritage of Carmelite spirituality that permeates the Chapel. |
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Covering an entire wall in the chapel is the largest Religious wood carving in
the United States. Hand carved in Italy of lindenwood, it is an awe-inspiring
sight depicting the events in the life of Therese. Beneath the mural
is an antique reliquary made in France containing five first-class relics
in cases made in the form of roses.
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In addition, the Shrine houses a unique collection of statues of Our Lady of Mount Carmel from around the world. The collection highlights Mary in a variety of cultures. A beautiful collection of rosaries donated by a benefactor is artfully displayed in another area of the Museum.
Adjoining the Shrine is a wonderful gift shop carrying a complete line
of religious items, books, tapes, and music. The gift shop is an
excellent resource for currect scholarly works on Therese as well as biographies,
devotional and popular titles on the Little Flower. In addition,
the gift shop stocks a wide variety of titles in theology, biblical studies,
spiritual classics and self-help publications.
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