CV NEWS FEED // A reporter for a Rhode Island newspaper that is not religiously affiliated described her tour of a shrine dedicated to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, which she visited after a reader asked if there were any Catholic shrines in the state.
Katie Landeck, engagement reporter for The Providence Journal, traveled this month to the Shrine of the Little Flower in Burrillville as a way to answer the reader’s question. That shrine is the only Catholic one in Rhode Island.
According to the Shrine’s pastor, Rev. Jose Parathanal, not many people who live in the state know about the site. Most pilgrims are from New York, Connecticut or another state. Rev. Parathanal told Landeck that pilgrims travel to the Shrine to find peace, rest, and healing.
“Even with the flowers not yet blooming, it’s clear that as you wind your way through the Stations of the Cross, climb the Holy Steps on your knees and follow the new rosary walk, this is a place for contemplation,” Landeck wrote.
However, Landeck said that describing the scenery did not sufficiently capture her experience at the Shrine. She described a moment at the Shrine that struck her as a personal encounter with St. Thérèse-inspired peace. It is unclear from the article whether or not Landeck is Catholic.
“The morning I went was also the morning that I learned a dear friend of mine’s mother died overnight,” Landeck wrote. “The day before, I’d pushed off doing this story to talk to my friend about how quickly her mom was declining, how she couldn’t fathom what was coming next, and how she wished her mom had peace. They’re Catholic, so while I was there, I lit a candle in the chapel and passed on the request for peace. It was a little thing, almost unworthy of mention, but on the other hand, that type of love is what Saint Thérèse is all about.”
She wrote that as she exited the chapel, she noticed “a bright white bird” that flew in front of her car. The bird appeared to be a white pigeon, which is “in the same family of birds as doves, and a white dove is a universal symbol of peace,” Landeck wrote.
“Again, it’s the sort of thing I suppose you could dismiss, but if you’re lighting candles at shrines looking for small ways to offer peace to someone, a white bird flying across your car is no longer unworthy of mention,” she wrote.
Rev. Parathanal and Shrine caretaker Sister Grace Coffey shared with Landeck the story of the life of St. Thérèse and the history of the Shrine.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux was a 19th-century Discalced Carmelite nun who died at the young age of 24 from tuberculosis. She became widely known for her autobiography “The Story of a Soul,” which revealed her simple approach to pursuing a life of holiness. Thérèse described her approach to pursuing holiness as “the Little Way,” which essentially entailed doing small actions with love. Thérèse was canonized in 1925.
The Shrine of the Little Flower originated through a parish founded in 1923. Sister Coffey shared the miraculous story of its beginnings. Then-Bishop William Hickey suggested that the new parish be named after Thérèse, whose canonization process was underway but not yet complete. The parish’s pastor, Rev. A.P. Desrochers, was hesitant to name the parish after Thérèse. He prayed for a sign to know if it was the right choice. A local parishioner, Florilda Faford, was very sick, and Desrochers asked her to pray to Thérèse for a miracle. Coffey told Landeck that Faford could not speak but still communicated that she understood the request.
“They came back the next day, and she was a little more alert, eyes were open,” Coffey said. “She was able to receive Communion. … Her daughter said after the priest left her mother got out of bed and said, ‘I’m all better, run now, and get the priest.’”
The miracle persuaded Desrochers to name the parish after Thérèse. Over time, donations of land and resources began pouring in, expanding the parish’s surroundings, statues and overall development in honor of St. Thérèse.
Coffey said that the development into a shrine was not an intentional decision, but the result of local residents’ generosity.
“Even today, people are still donating,” Coffey said. “The saint’s garden is relatively new. Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the rosary walk is, of course, the newest addition.”
The Shrine and the parish celebrated their centennial jubilee in 2023.
