THE RELICS of St. Therese of the Child Jesus from Lisieux, France, will visit Cebu for the second time.The relics will arrive at Pier 3 at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24. The reliquary will then be exposed for veneration until its stay on Feb. 27. Msgr. Achilles Dakay, media liaison officer of the Cebu Archdiocese, said the relic arrived in Manila last Jan. 15. The remains of the young saint locally known as “Sta. Teresita sa Bata nga Jesus” will be brought to 32 other areas in the country. After Cebu, the remains will be brought to Tagbilaran City, Bohol. Based on the article of the church’s weekly newsletter, Bag-ong Lungsoranon, the church is preparing a series of activities for the arrival of the relics of St. Therese. From the port, the remains will be taken to the Carmelite Monastery until the duration of its visit. Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak, bishop of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines, will officiate a welcome Mass at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 24, and a conference/recollection will be done by Msgr. Dennis Villarojo and Fr. Mhar Balili at 8:30 p.m. Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal will hold a pontifical mass at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 25, and a grand procession will take place at 8 p.m. the same day. The procession will start at Juan Luna Avenue going to St. Therese Parish in Lahug, Central Command, Gorordo Avenue, Ayala Access Road and then back to the Carmelites Monastery. There will be another recollection on Feb. 26 at 9 a.m. A healing Mass, officiated by Msgr. Cris Garcia, will take place at 8 p.m. the same day. Before the relics will leave for Tagbilaran City, a farewell Mass will be officiated at 4 a.m. on Feb. 27 by Bishop Julito Cortes. St. Therese of the Child Jesus is also known as St. Thérèse de Lisieux and The Little Flower. She was christened Marie Françoise Thérèse Martin and was born in Alençon, France. She joined the Carmelite nuns in Lisieux at age 15. She died of tuberculosis at the age of 24 in 1897. St. Therese was beatified on April 29, 1923 by Pope Pius XI and was canonized on May 17, 1925. She was also declared by the church as Co-Patroness of the Mission with St. Francis of Assisi and special patron of the Order of the Magnificat of the Mother of God. Thérèse of Lisieux is the patron saint of AIDS sufferers, aviators, florists, illness, and missions. Jhunnex Napalacan | 
