Relics to Visit the National Shrine in Darien, Illinois
The Relics of St. Therese and her parents, Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, are coming to the National Shrine of St. Therese in Darien, Illinois from September 17 through October 1, 2023.
We are honored to welcome the relics of St. Therese and her parents, Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, to the National Shrine of St. Therese in Darien, Illinois, from September 17 through October 1, 2023 open to the public from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, daily. This special visit is sponsored by the Society of the Little Flower, which is dedicated to promoting the spirituality and message of St. Therese of Lisieux, also known as the Little Flower.
The relics will be available for public veneration during this time, giving visitors the opportunity to deepen their faith and connect with this holy family.
Join Us for Our Celebration
Start your prayerful journey with St. Therese on September 17th!
Sign up to receive this special series of emails in honor of the St. Therese Relics Visit and we will send you our 2023 Feast Day 14-Day Prayer Booklet in digital form with your sign up.
You will receive a daily prayer email beginning September 17th and concluding on October 1st, as well as information about special recorded Masses, talks, and relic veneration taking place during the Relics Visit of St. Therese and her parents, Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin.
Virtual Relics Visit & Feast Day Emails
Join us for our 2023 Virtual Relics Visit & Feast Day Celebration! Sign up below and your confirmation message will include a digital copy of the 2023 Feast Day 14-Day Prayer Booklet!
Schedule of Events
We look forward to welcoming our faith family to the National Shrine & Museum of St. Therese in Darien, Illinois! Our events will be recorded and viewable on our Feast Day video page should you be unable to attend in person.
The National Shrine and Museum of St. Therese is located at 8501 Bailey Rd, Darien, IL 60561. For more information, please call the Society of the Little Flower at 800-621-2806.
The Relics Visit and Feast Day Schedule of Events
Week One, September 17 to September 23
There is an 11:30 Mass at in the National Shrine every day
Sunday, September 17
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – V. Rev. Carl Markelz, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Spanish Mass – Fr. Enrique Valera, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Talk – “Life & Spirituality of St. Therese” by Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm.
Monday, September 18
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – Fr. Tom Schrader, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Talk – “St. Therese: Far Too Brazen” by Fr. John Welch, O. Carm.
2:30 to 4:00 PM – Confessions in Museum
Tuesday, September 19
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Talk – “Spirituality of St. Therese” by Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm.
2:30 to 4:00 PM – Confessions in Museum
7:00 PM Novena Service – Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm.
Wednesday September 20
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – Fr. Rob Traudt, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Talk – “St. Therese: her Devotion to the Infant of Prague” by Fr. Elias O’Brien, O.Carm.
2:30 to 4:00 PM – Confessions in Museum
7:00 PM – Healing Service – Fr. Bob Colaresi, O.Carm.
Thursday, September 21
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – Fr. David McEvoy, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Talk – “St. Therese and her Parents” by Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm.
2:30 to 4:00 PM – Confessions in Museum
Friday, September 22
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – Fr. Joseph Atcher, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Talk – “St. Therese’s Christmas Conversion” by Fr. Tom Schrader, O. Carm.
2:30 to 4:00 PM – Confessions in Museum
Saturday, September 23
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – Fr. Bernhard Bauerle, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Talk – “The Watchmaker and Lacemaker: Virtue in Married Love and Life” by Kevin Keller
Week Two, September 24 to October 1
There is an 11:30 Mass at in the National Shrine every day
Sunday, September 24
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – Fr. David McEvoy, O. Carm.
2 PM Spanish Mass – Fr. Enrique Valera, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Talk – “Therese and the Mercy of God” by Fr. John Welch, O. Carm.
Monday, September 25
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – Fr. David McEvoy, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Talk – “Life and call in the cloistered Carmelite monastery” by Mother Madonna, Prioress of Carmel of Mary
2:30 to 4:00 PM – Confessions in Museum
Tuesday, September 26
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – Fr. Tom Schrader, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Talk – “Life and call in the cloistered Carmelite monastery” by Mother Madonna, Prioress of Carmel of Mary (repeat)
2:30 to 4:00 PM – Confessions in Museum
7:00 PM Novena Service – Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm.
Wednesday, September 27
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – Bishop Ronald Hicks, DD
2:00 PM Talk – “The Little Way” by Fr. Tom Schrader, O. Carm.
2:30 to 4:00 PM – Confessions in Museum
7:00 PM – Healing Service – Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm.
Thursday, September 28
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – Fr. Joseph Atcher, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Talk – “Therese and her Parents” by Fr. Bob (repeat)
2:30 to 4:00 PM – Confessions in Museum
Friday, September 29
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Talk – “Everything is Grace” by Fr. Tom Schrader, O. Carm.
2:30 to 4:00 PM – Confessions in Museum
Saturday, September 30
11:30 AM Shrine Mass – Fr. Rob Traudt, O. Carm.
2:00 PM Talk – “St. Therese and the Little Way” by Fr. John. Welch, O. Carm.
7:00 PM – Transitus (her death) Vigil Prayer Service (not a Mass!) – Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm.
Sunday, October 1st FEAST DAY
11:30 AM Mass – Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm. (Blessing of the Roses and Veneration of St. Therese Relics)
1:30 PM Talk – Fr. Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm. (Talk on St. Therese)
3:00 PM Mass – Fr. Carl Markelz, O. Carm. (Blessing of the Roses and Veneration of St. Therese Relics)
5:00 PM Mass – Fr. Tom Fr. Tom Schrader, O. Carm. (Blessing of the Roses and Veneration of St. Therese Relics)
Confessions
Confessions will be taking place Monday through Friday from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM in the Shrine Museum. Confessions are face to face and there is no screen. Please see the event schedule above for specific information about confessional times.
Daily Prayers, Masses, and Talk Videos
Our Relics Visit and Feast Day videos are available for viewing from September 17 through October 1, 2023 after 5 PM each day (evening services will be posted the following day). We hope you will join us in this joyous celebration of our beloved Little Flower and her parents.
Special Religious Gifts
To commemorate this joyous occasion, we offer a curated assortment of special gifts available through a suggested donation, while supplies last.
Plan Your Visit
Convenient amenities in the Darien, Illinois area.
Accommodations
Hotels within 4 miles of the Shrine
- Extended Stay America in Darien
- La Quinta Inn in Willowbrook
- Wood Spring Suites in Darien
- Marriott in Burr Ridge
- Crown Plaza in Burr Ridge
- Carmelite Spiritual Center in Darien
Nearby Restaurants
- Chuck’s Southern Comforts 8025 Cass Ave, Darien
- Honey Jam Café 401 75th St., Downers Grove
- Portillo’s Hot Dogs 7195 N. Kingery Hwy, Willowbrook
- Blueberry Hill Pancake House 7340 Route 83, Darien
- Home Run Pizza 7521 Lemont Road, Darien
- Buona Beef 7417 S. Cass Avenue, Darien
- The Patio 7440 S. Kingery Hwy, Darien
- Starbucks 7515 S. Cass Ave., Darien
Grocery/Pharmacy
- Jewel/Osco 7329 Cass Ave, Darien
- CVS Pharmacy 8325 Lemont Rd, Darien
- Walmart 2189 75th St, Darien
- Target 7601 Kingery Hwy, Willowbrook
Frequently Asked Questions
What are relics?
Relics are physical remains of saints who people love, are inspired by, and want to stay close to. Before photography and videos, people preserved some remains of a person; an article of clothing, etc. We believe in the incarnation, that “God became flesh” these remains connect us. First-class relics are physical pieces of the person’s body or clothing. Second and third class are items they used or touched from their grave or touched to their body.
They are still commonly used in altars and churches to remember and connect with these saints and their faith. In Carmelite circles, the transverberated heart of St. Teresa of Avila and her writing hand, because she was such a prolific spiritual author, is preserved in Spain.
St Therese of Lisieux was so popular that people wanted to preserve pieces of her. Her body had corrupted, and she was emaciated by the disease which caused her death. There was little left. But as she was beatified in 1923 and canonized in 1925, people craved something of her. To make the Little Flower more available to her millions of friends, the Carmelite Nuns of Lisieux created a reliquary that could travel, which includes three small bones of hers. When we had her reliquary here in 1999, we were overwhelmed with tens of thousands of people who wanted to feel close to her.
Are private or group tours available?
Tours are available for a minimum of 10 people at $15 per person for a 50 minute tour starting at 8 and 9 am each day. Discounts are not available. You can contact us to arrange your tour on our Tour Group page.
Are photos allowed?
Yes, for private use only. We ask that those taking photos refrain from photography during the daily mass out of respect for the privacy of others.
Can we touch the relics?
You may touch the reliquary. There will be a line formed where you will be able to touch and pass for a few minutes. There will be honor guards present to wipe the case after each visitor.
How long are we allowed to stay with the relics?
You are allowed to sit and be with the relics as long as you want.
Is the Shrine and Museum handicap accessible?
Yes, both the Shrine and the Museum buildings have handicap accessible entrances and restrooms.
Campus Map
Our beautiful campus is waiting for you to explore. We have over 40 acres of grounds featuring prayer stations and statuary of the saints.
