DARLINGTON — On display this past weekend, Feb. 3-4, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, was a relic of Saint Therese of Lisieux, more commonly known as the ‘Little Flower’. The importance of the Saints may not be all that significant to some, however for Catholics that saw the item in person, a special reverence seemed to be in order.

A relic is a treasured item that is kept to remember someone with special religious significance. The relic that is associated with St. Therese of Lisieux is a small piece of her holy habit, as she was a Carmelite nun. 

St. Therese of Lisieux was born in France in 1873, the youngest of nine children. The five children that survived childhood all became nuns. St. Therese of Lisieux served with great piety. She died of tuberculosis at the age of 24, in 1897. She was canonized a Saint by Pope Pius XI, in 1925.

Catholics do not worship Saints, but look upon their lives as an example in which to live. St. Therese’s relic serves as a reminder of her short life well lived, through her happy and joyous “little way”, despite the several adversities throughout her life.