At the Solemn Mass on All Saints’ Day, Br Nicholas Edmonds-Smith was made an acolyte. The ministry of Acolyte is the last stage before ordination to the Diaconate. Please keep Br Nicholas in your prayers as he prepares for the priesthood.

Some comments from among the 6,200 pilgims who came to pray before St Thérèse’s relics:

“I have never experienced such a welcome.”

“It was like being in heaven”

“It was so wonderful to see thousands of people wanting to be the best they can.”

Bishop Philip Boyce O.C.D. gives Benediction at the closing service:

Emotions were powerful as the relics went on to their next destination:

The arrival of the Relics at Solemn Vespers:

We were honoured that six Carmelite nuns from the Wolverhampton Carmel were present for the arrival of the relics and stayed throughout the night vigil. They were able to meet some of the cast from the Divine Comedy and given an impromtu performance of two of the scenes! They seemed hugely amused as one of the demons proclaimed “I loathe Carmelites!”

An enormous team of volunteers worked to steward and refresh our pilgrims, as well as provide First Aid and man the bookstall. Here, ready to serve cups of tea:

Fr Daniel celebrated the 8.30am Missa Cantata:

And the pilgrims kept coming for 22 hours:

At least 6,000 have thronged our church during the visit of the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux. Despite the rain on the evening of Wednesday 7th October, crowds queued down the street, some waiting for several hours.

Six boys from the Oratory School carried the 22 stone reliquary in and out of church:

Solemn Vespers of St Thérèse were celebrated:

Bishop William Kenney C.P. celebrated a Solemn Mass:

Pilgrims continued coming all through the night:

By: Amanda C Dickie

from Independent Catholic News

The relics of St Thérèse will be welcomed to Oxford on Wednesday with a peal of bells from the Anglican church of St Giles, opposite the Oxford Oratory, and a few yards from the Martyrs Memorial at the heart of Protestant Oxford. The church has offered use of its hall and facilities to those visiting the relics at the Oratory church of St Aloysius.

Photographs of Thérèse will be projected outside the church as she arrives. Thérèse of Lisieux wrote eight plays and took the lead in five of these performed as recreation in the Carmel so it was apt that Oxford parishioners decided to stage a theatrical extravaganza in preparation for the visit of her relics to the Oratory.

Performed over three days.,including Thérèse’s’ Feast on 1 October, all performances were sold out.

Divine Comedy – A Thérèsian Mystery Play, complete with devils and angels locked in battle with twirling banners, and a cast of 55 was written by Leonie Caldecott. Her daughter, Tessa, directed this ambitious project incorporating an updated version of Dante’s Divine Comedy and a time travelling female doctor, complete with Dr Who-like scarf, who takes Dan and Bea back to 1873 showing them the life of Thérèse of Lisieux. and her message for today. Devised as a modern version of a mystery play all parts of the church were used. Photographs of Thérèse were illuminated onto the exterior of the church before and after the production.

Professional lighting was on hand from parishioner Ashley Bale of the Oxford Playhouse, whose wife played Thérèse’s mother, Zelie Martin and their children took part too.

Parish priest Fr Daniel Seward skilfully played Therese’s father with pathos, revealing hidden acting talent He had even grown long side burns for the part. Oratorian Fr Dominic Jacob, was a benevolent Pope Leo XIII, and Fr Richard Duffield played Monsignor Reverony with aplomb. An interesting interjection was the appearance of Cardinal Newman by Fr Jerome Bertram carrying his Apologia. Clare Coggins brought intensity and vibrancy as the older of three actresses playing Therese and conveyed her sense of fun.

A Dominican and a Franciscan played other clergy. A Carmelite nun from Wolverhampton, present on the opening night, said that the second half portrayed life in the Carmel very well and added that her convent had supplied the nuns’ habits.

Fr Michael McGoldrick, Discalced Carmelite Superior in this country, thought that the play was a wonderful introduction to Thérèse and said that it would be “great” if it could be reprised in London.

“It was wonderful that all the generations were involved from young children to a lady in her eighties”, he said.

The childrens’ matinee performance starred an extra cast member -a dog called Truffle- as the young Thérèse’s pet dog and stole the show!

BACKSTAGE

The Director, Tessa Caldecott:

Thérèse and Céline backstage:

Three angels resting:

The Cast warm up!

THE PERFORMANCE:

Dan & the Doctor:

Thérèse and Pauline:

Thérèse and Louis:

Thérèse, Pauline and Céline:

Céline and Thérèse:

Healing of Thérèse:

The Virgin of the Smile:

Older Céline and Thérèse:

Thérèse:

Thérèse asks her father’s permission to enter Carmel:

Henri Pranzini: a soul saved by Thérèse’s prayers.

With Nietszche in a Paris Lift:

IN CARMEL

Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus:

Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart:

Finale: The Fight between Good & Evil:

Dan & Sister Françoise Thérèse (Léonie):

Dan & Beatrice:

Death of Thérèse:

Photographs by Richard Brown

Photographs by Br Lawrence Lew OP

No – it’s the Divine Comedy! The picture shows Thérèse asking Pope Leo XIII whether she may enter Carmel at 15.

Here, Clare Coggins as the Carmelite Thérèse:

And here, Marie, Thérèse and their father Louis Martin:

Pictures by James Bradley

Thérèse makes her first Confession:

Monsignor Reverony caught in an informal moment:

The stars take a break:

The Carmelites Practise their chant:

Our Lady cures the young St Thérèse:

Three of the actresses playing Thérèse at different stages of her life: