As luck would have it, the relics of my patron saint, St. Thérèse, are visiting the UK this month!
I originally planned to visit them Sunday evening after 6:30pm mass when they were at a Carmelite Church on Kensington Church Street, about 1.5 miles from Manson Place; however, the priests closing remarks were that he heard the queue was already at 3 hours. In favor of not feeling rushed nor having to walk home alone close to midnight, I decided to hold off until Tuesday afternoon when they would be at Westminster Cathedral for three nights. After class and lunch, I headed over…
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathdral
Jumbo tron!
After queuing for about a half hour, which I spent reading a St. Thérèse prayer book I got after mass Sunday evening, I finally made it up to the stand selling roses and candles for just £1 each — sure, it equaled a pint (my main source of comparison), but I couldn’t think of a better thing to spend £2 on (not even laundry). I got the perfect rose, my favorite mix of pink with hints of green on the outer petals, which I later arranged in the wine bottle I saved from my first night here and the pink St. Thérèse rosary I purchased Sunday evening after mass.
Mini-shrine to St. Thérèse
The queue continued inside, but I was too preoccupied with the magnificent design of the Cathedral to notice…
Inside Westminster Cathedral
and then there they were…
St. Thérèse Relics
The area was surrounded by candles that people had lit, but I decided to take mine with me instead as a souvenir and reminder in my room.
Leading up to the relics
I was definitely not ready to immediately emerge back into the outside world, so I snagged a seat in one of the side chapel areas that had a pretty decent view of the relics. I ended up praying/meditating for an hour, and the only reason I stopped was because a mass began. Tickets were required, but because I was in a side chapel I got to stay without one! It worked out perfectly. Eventually, though, my hungry tummy was calling; on my way out I stopped into the gift shop and picked up a postcard for Gramcracker, the Marie Thérèse I inherited my name and patron saint from.
If only every afternoon could be so centering…
