St. Therese Pilgrim Relics in U.P. Los Baños, Laguna

 

 * tarpaulins announcing the St. Therese Pilgrim Relics

and the guide for the visiting the relic

  I just did an impromptu alumni homecoming of sort to U.P. Los Baños, Laguna when I learned of the arrival of the pilgrim relics of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. Not that I am religious devotee or anything (not ever been one for a number of years actually) but I wanted to observe this veneration for this woman saint and, looking back, compare it with the veneration of the Black Nazarene.
 

 

 * while we waited in line

Information abound round the perimeter of the St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish inside UPLB (along Silangan Road) that this is already the third visit of the pilgrim relics of the saint. (And so it may be safe to assume that there are other St. Therese relics in the world.) The January 31 arrival of the relics came in the form of a motorcade from Camp Vicente Lim in Canlubang, Calamba City. In the afternoon a pontifical mass was presided over by Bishop Bernard Cortez, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Manila. I came in during the veneration period early in the evening.

* St. Therese relics in a casket

I daresay that the veneration process is an orderly one, with waiting areas for the people and staff (for lack of a better term) helping in keeping a smoothly flowing line to the relic. Believer or not, it gave me goose bumps to be in the presence of a much-treasured casket. I found my photos of the casket quite shaky. The viewing lasted less than two minutes and so I contented myself afterwards in observing the incoming people for their own venerations of the saint.

Since I am inside the St. Therese Chapel compound anyway, I revisited the baptistery where photos of St. Therese were put up, showing her life as a child up to her death. She was quite a woman, a beautiful one indeed. Outside, St. Therese religious items are being sold but it was relatively dark to look into them.   

 

 

 

* some of the photos of St. Therese inside the baptistery

Found below is the schedule of activities for February 1 and 2 which I found posted on one of the bulletin boards inside the chapel grounds:

February 1, Friday
12:03 am onwards – Veneration except at
4:00-4:30 am – Asalto
5:50 am – Lauds
6:00 am – Holy Eucharist
12:00 pm – Midday Prayers
5:00 pm – Vespers
5:30 pm – Pontifical Mass by Bishop Leo M. Drona
6:30 pm – Holy Hour in honor of St. Therese
10:00 pm – Night prayers

February 2, Saturday
12:01-8:00 am – Veneration except at
4:00-4:30 am – Asalto
5:30 am – Lauds
6:00 am – Holy Eucharist and Farewell Rites
8:00 am – Pilgrim relics leaves for Lucena

Additional notes on the activities:
- prayers are recited every hour on the hour while people venerate the Pilgrim relics
- special blessing for all those baptized Therese, Teresa, Teresita, Teresito during the Pontifical masses
- blessing of Theresian religious items after masses
- sacrament of reconciliation, depending on availability of priests
- parking lot spaces only for those with gate passes
- other vehicles may be parked at any unreserved UPLB parking areas
 

 * St. Therese’s new bell tower   

 * business as always

For other information, you can visit: thereserelics,ph, facebook.com/ThereseRelicPh, facebook.com/ThereRelicsUPLB, twitter.com/ThereseRelicsPh