The relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, one of the most beloved saints in the Catholic Church, are returning to San Antonio for the first time in over two decades. 

From Oct. 31 to Nov. 4, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower will open its doors to venerate the relics of St. Thérèse. The visit will feature special Masses, ceremonies and prayer services.

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The five-day visit begins with a welcome ceremony at 5:45 p.m. on Friday, followed by Mass with Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller at 6 p.m. and public veneration from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The basilica will then remain open for veneration Saturday through Monday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Tuesday from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. 

On Tuesday there will be a 6 a.m. Mass with mariachi before the relics’ departure at 8 a.m. 

This marks the first time the relics have been in San Antonio since 1999, when an estimated 75,000 people visited the basilica. This year, organizers are expecting close to 100,000 people to visit over the five days, said Father Gregory Ross, a priest at the basilica. 

The estimate came from “the increase in publicity through social media these days, and the growth in San Antonio itself. There are just more people here than there were in 1999,” Ross said. 

He said the basilica is working with the City of San Antonio and a private security firm to manage the crowds and ensure visitors can pray and venerate safely. 

The relics of St. Thérèse have traveled the world since 1997, when the centennial of her death inspired a global pilgrimage. Before coming to San Antonio this year, Ross said the relics visited cities along the West Coast and in the Detroit area. 

The relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux on display.
Credit: Courtesy / Little Flower Basilica staff from Sanctuary of Lisieux

What’s special about the relics’ visit to San Antonio is that the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower is the first national shrine dedicated to St. Thérèse in the United States. 

“There’s almost a sense that, you know, she’s coming home to be with us for a few days, and we expect a lot of people who are devoted to St. Thérèse to pass through the basilica,” Ross said.

After the San Antonio visit, the relics will visit Lafayette, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; St. Louis, Missouri; Holy Hill, Wisconsin; Washington, D.C.; and Miami, Florida — sites connected to the Discalced Carmelite Order, the community to which St. Thérèse belonged, Ross explained. 

The relics’ home base is in Lisieux, France, where St. Thérèse lived, died and was buried.

Nicknamed “The Little Flower,” St. Thérèse is most known for her autobiography, “The Story of a Soul,” written at the request of her sisters. Ross said it’s one of the most popular books of Catholic spirituality.  

“She called herself the little flower of Jesus,” Ross said. “In other words, she was just one of those little, kind of unremarkable, so to speak, in the eyes of the world, flowers, just like everybody else. And yet, she says God loves each one as if they were the only one.”  

The relics’ journey around the globe coincides with the 100th anniversary of St. Thérèse’s canonization and 2025 being declared the Jubilee Year of Hope by Pope Francis before his death. 

“St. Thérèse is really a messenger of hope. She lived constantly with that, putting all her hope in the Lord … so this visit really is a great event to have during this Jubilee Year of Hope,” Ross said. 

The relics of the Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Thérèse’s parents, will also be available for veneration in a small museum space in the basilica’s basement. 

Ross encourages visitors to park at Wonderland of the Americas Mall, where VIA will provide a $2.50 round-trip shuttle to the basilica throughout the visit. Handicap parking spaces will be available at basilica, but general parking nearby will be limited.

“We really need to make sure people plan their visit so that they don’t end up just driving around without a place to park,” Ross said.  

Find the full schedule of events and more information at the basilica’s website. 

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