The inmates of the Brazilian prison of Caratinga received the relics of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus on Friday, June 28. The urn, which contains a femur and foot bones of the saint, arrived in the Diocese of Caratinga, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, on Tuesday, June 25, and left on July 2 for the Diocese of Cariacica, in the state of Holy Spirit.
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Inmates, prison police and prison officials venerated the relics. The Bishop of Caratinga, Mons. Juárez Delorto Secco, accompanied the visit and blessed the facilities and the inmates, who prepared roses for this moment. The blessed roses will be delivered by them to the families of the prisoners.
For the director of the prison, Gustavo Henrique Nespoli, the visit to the relics was “a very special moment, taking into account the history of Saint Therese and what the prison system represents for society itself.”
In the midst of “prejudice and exclusion, when we focus on love, care, the evolution of the human being, faith in God’s mercy towards people, we become excited and are very happy,” he said in statements to Learned TV on Friday the 28th.
According to him website of the Diocese of Caratinga, the pilgrimage of the relics of Saint Teresa, patron saint of the missions and one of the four doctors of the Church, “is an opportunity for the faithful to connect with their faith and intercede for graces.”
One of the organizers of the visit of the relics to the diocese, Fra João de Deus OCD, said that the pilgrimage is “Saint Therese fulfilling her mission, her desire to walk through the world, to announce the Gospel, to witness to Jesus Christ in everywhere”.
“Anything that brings a little comfort, peace, tranquility to the inmates is very good, always very welcome,” security director Rodrigo Soares told Learned TV. “There were few places where the relics of Saint Therese passed and we were blessed with it.” Prison “is a place that greatly needs the Word of God.”
“It’s not every day we have this peace, but today experiencing this peace with St. Therese is rewarding for us,” said inmate Welington Douglas. “We all strive to welcome Saint Therese with open arms.”
This is the fourth time that the relics of the first degree of Saint Therese arrive in Brazil. The pilgrimage is carried out at the request of the Order of the Barefoot Carmel in Brazil to the Carmel of Lisieux, in France, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the saint and 100 years of her beatification, celebrated in 2023; and in preparation for the centenary of her canonization, in 2025. It began on February 1 in the city of Trindade, Goiás, and will end on October 1 in São Paulo, in the state of the same name.
To follow the pilgrimage program, just access the Carmelites’ Instagram accounts: @soucarmeloocd, @carmelobrasil y @floresdocarmelo.
Who was Saint Therese of the Child Jesus?
Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin, known as Saint Teresa of Lisieux or Teresa of the Child Jesus, is one of the most popular saints in Brazil. She was born on January 2, 1873 in Alençon (France), and was the youngest daughter of Saints Louis and Celia Martin. They had eight children before Teresa. Four died while still young and the other four, María, Paulina, Leonia and Celina, were nuns like the saint.
At the age of 15, Teresa entered the Carmelite monastery of Lisieux with the special permission of Pope Leo XIII because she was not yet of age. Her great experience with God since she was a child, recounted in her autobiographical manuscripts, brought teachings on “spiritual childhood” or “little path” that are based on loving trust in God. Teresa believed that her path to God was to be like a child, and that is why she sought Him on this path of humiliation that overflowed in fraternal life and love without measure.
Saint Therese died at the age of 24, on September 30, 1897. She was beatified in 1923 and canonized on May 17, 1925 by Pope Pius XI who, speaking of the new saint, said: “This candid girl, flower opened in the closed garden of Carmel, not content with adding to her name that of the child Jesus, she copied his living image into herself.
On October 19, 1997, Mission Sunday, Teresa of Lisieux was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Saint John Paul II, due to her autobiographical writings.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in ACI Digital.
Nathália Queiroz
Nathália Queiroz de Carvalho Lima is certified in Spanish by the Cervantes Institute and has worked as a translator for seven years at ACI Digital. She has experience writing religious content for Catholic media in Portuguese and Spanish.