About thirty years ago, the circumstances of life led me to Lisieux, the city in the north of France where Saint Therese had lived as a cloistered nun for nine years; in fact, she became a nun at the age of fifteen and died from consumption when she was twenty-four years old.
After she passed away, about four thousand miracles happened thanks to her intercession. These days, not only the Catholics, but also the Arabs, Orthodox, and Protestants love and worship her.
Although she never left the walls of the Carmelite convent in Lisieux, she was proclaimed ‘the patron saint of the missions’, ‘the protectress of Russia’, ‘the patron saint of France’, and ‘doctor of the church’.
In my hometown of Enna, we had sixty-four churches once. Nowadays, many of them have disappeared due to the shortage of priests and loss of faith. However, the glorious, tiny church of Saint Therese of Lisieux is still alive, although it has been closed for many years. The collapsed floor needs to be remodeled.
A few years ago, a local architect made a project for the reopening of the church. I heard that funds have been allocated for the purpose. However, work has not yet begun!
I hope this beautiful little church will reopen as a peaceful place for people to meditate and pray some day!
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)
– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)
– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)
– Travels of the Mind (English edition)
– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)
– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)
Ettore Grillo's Blog 