Relics of Saint Therese to visit Cebu next week

CEBU, Philippines - The relics of St. Therese of Lisieux, popularly known as St. Therese of the Child Jesus, will visit Cebu from February 24 to March 1.

From Ormoc City, the relics are expected to arrive at 7 a.m. at the Benito Ebuen Airbase in Mactan on February 24, with a welcome Mass at the Air Force Chapel to be celebrated by Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak.

A motorcade will follow at 10 a.m. to the military’s Central Command where a Mass to be celebrated by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma will be held at 12 noon.

The relics will stay overnight at the Central Command Chapel.

On the second day, there will be a motorcade from Central Command to Carmelite Monastery at 5 a.m. with a stop at St. Therese Parish and the Police Regional Office-7, where a Mass will be celebrated at 6 am.

The departure of the relics from PRO-7 will be at 8:30 a.m. going to San Carlos Seminary College. It is expected to arrive at the Carmelite Monastery by 10 a.m.

Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo “Cardinal” Vidal will celebrate a Mass at 10:30 a.m. followed by the veneration of the relic. There will be Masses at 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

On February 26 and 27, there will be Masses at 6 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and the Carmelite Monastery gate will close at 10 p.m.

On February 28, there will be a Solemn Procession, which will start at 7 p.m., from the Carmelite Monastery going to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. Prior to the procession, there will be Masses at 6 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

After the procession, a farewell Mass to be celebrated by Palma will be held at 9 p.m. By 10:30 p.m. there will be a solemn procession going back to the Carmelite Monastery, where a vigil will be held.

On March 1, a Mass will be celebrated at 2 a.m. and a farewell ceremony will follow at 5 a.m.

At 6 a.m., a farewell Mass will be celebrated by Fr. Roel Isip at the Naval Chapel, and at 7 a.m. the Pilgrim Relics of St. Therese of the Child Jesus will depart for Bohol.

The relics, which are bone fragments of St. Therese housed in a special reliquary, came from the Basilica of St. Therese in Lisieux, France.

They arrived in the Philippines last December 15 for a four-month tour, which included visits to more than 48 archdioceses and dioceses in the country, including Cebu.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus is dubbed as “the greatest saint for modern times”. —(FREEMAN)