When I was first introduced to The Story of a Soul, I expected the spirituality of St. Thérèse of Lisieux to be… well, a little soft. I thought it would be a bit overly flowery.

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus is among the most popular and most beloved saints in the Catholic Church. However, many have the mistaken idea that her life was easy and romantic and that her message can be reduced to the cute slogan: “Do little things with great love.”

In collaboration with Douglas Architects of San Antonio, the friars have solidified a master plan for our Basilica Campus. We have envisioned a beautiful campus that will accentuate the strengths of our historical Basilica and monastery.

Three of the altars of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower stand behind a Communion rail embellished with small mosaics of the Life of St. Thérèse. These small treasures are easily missed when the grandeur of the high altar dominates the view.

Red-Letter Days are celebrated at major and minor Basilicas one of which is our very own Little Flower Basilica. There are eight Red-Letter Days celebrated at the Basilica throughout each year.

The first window in the Basilica’s St. Elias (Elijah) Adoration Chapel begins in the middle of the story, where we find Elijah drinking from the brook in a ravine in an out-of-the-way spot called Wadi Cherith.