CV NEWS FEED // A reporter for a Rhode Island newspaper recently described her tour of a unique shrine dedicated to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, which she visited after a local reader asked if there were any Catholic shrines in the state.
Katie Landeck of The Providence Journal traveled this month to the Shrine of the Little Flower in Burrillville as a way to answer the reader’s question. It is the only Catholic shrine in Rhode Island.
According to the Shrine’s pastor, Rev. Jose Parathanal, its presence is largely unknown to state residents. Most of its pilgrims are from New York, Connecticut, and other states. Parathanal told Landeck that pilgrims travel to the Shrine to find peace, rest, and healing.
After Landeck toured the Shrine for her article, she wrote, “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.”
However, Landeck wrote that simply describing the scenery was “insufficient” to capture the experience she had at the Shrine, so she shared a short personal story.
Though she was there initially just to report, Landeck 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 continued.
She wrote that as she exited the chapel, she noticed “a bright white bird” that flew in front of her car. Though it was a small detail, Landeck wrote that the bird appeared to be “in the same family of birds as doves, and a white dove is a universal symbol of peace.”
“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,” Landeck wrote.
The story of the life of St. Thérèse and the history of the Shrine, told to Landeck by Parathanal and Shrine caretaker Sister Grace Coffey, preceded the moment she encountered this small detail of peace and encouragement.
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.
Sister Coffey told Landeck, “She’s made a powerful impact upon the world at her death. One of the sisters said, ‘I wonder what the Mother Superior will write about her in the obituary. She never really did anything.’ All that she did was, you know, it was hidden.”
Thérèse described her approach to pursuing holiness as “the Little Way,” which essentially entailed doing small actions with love. Thérèse was canonized a saint 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 pastor of the parish, Rev. A.P. Desrochers was hesitant to name the parish after Thérèse, and 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 was unable to speak, but 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 was enough for Desrochers to decide 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 the generosity of local residents.
“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.
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