By: Sister Immaculata 

  St. Therese. Just the sound of her name conjures up in so many persons great feelings of love, affinity and gratitude. This became superabundantly clear to me when her relics visited the United States in the year 2000. I was living in Duarte at Santa Teresita Hospital and assisted in the preparations for the 48 hours that her relics would be with us. I’ll never forget the stream of 22,000 persons that came through to pray, to sing, to plead and to cry. Every person could tell you their own stories of favors granted through this Saint of the ‘Little Way’. It seemed as if each one considered that St. Therese was their own spiritual Sister and friend. So, it won’t surprise you when I tell you that I, too, have experienced that I am uniquely loved by this Saint, and that she has been involved in my life ever since I was a child. I, too, have many stories to share of favors granted along the way with the gift of showers of roses that characteristically mark her style.
 
I’ll choose one simple story to share with you that happened about fifteen years ago involving my aunt. Most of my Father’s siblings fell away from the Catholic faith early on in their adult lives and they turned to New Age practices. When in her forties, my aunt Rose developed a terminal disease and I was concerned for the welfare of her soul. I turned to St. Therese and persistently asked for a miracle of conversion. Rose lived in Iowa, far away from my family and I did not have contact with her. As Roses’ life drew to a close, my prayers increased. I received word that she had only a day or two to live. I remember being in Mass, continuing to plead for this special grace as I was walking up the aisle to receive Communion. My eyes caught sight of the flowers that were next to the Tabernacle…. a bouquet of roses. Right when I fixed my gaze upon them, to my surprise, suddenly all of the petals came off and gently cascaded to the ground. I knew in my heart that it was a sign. Later that day, I received a call that indeed, Rose had passed to the next life, but not before asking for a priest and receiving the sacraments. Thank you, St. Therese for being our Sister in Christ that we can call upon in our many and varied needs!
St. Therese, pray for us.