The quiet grounds of the Carmel of Port Tobacco in La Plata, Maryland filled steadily on Nov. 23 as pilgrims from across Southern Maryland and beyond gathered for a Mass that overflowed into the garden outside the chapel and for the veneration of the relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The visit drew families, longtime devotees, and those seeking comfort during personal trials, all coming to the birthplace of religious life in Maryland to pray with the beloved saint known for her little way of trust and love.
The Mass was celebrated by Father Gerald Andrews, parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Parish in La Plata. Concelebrating was Father Steven Payne, a Discalced Carmelite priest, the same order to which the sisters at the Carmel of Port Tobacco belong.
In his homily, Father Andrews reflected on the devotion St. Thérèse inspires wherever her relics travel and the promise she made that she would spend her heaven doing good on earth. He spoke about her confidence in Christ the King and said her example directs the faithful toward the sacraments, where Christ reveals his mercy and draws souls to himself.
“The Lord Jesus grants St. Thérèse to be present here with her relics and to work miracles when we venerate them,” Father Andrews said. “He honors her by letting her do these miracles by working these miracles through her. The Lord Jesus is so great that the more power he gives to his servants, the saints, the more it shows his own greatness and his own goodness.” He added that St. Thérèse’s confidence in God “helps us approach God with confidence and trust in his great goodness and mercy.”
Before the conclusion of the Mass, the prioress, Mother Marie Bernardina of Divine Mercy, welcomed visitors and invited them to spend time on the monastery grounds, walk the Stations of the Cross, visit the historic areas of the property, or spend time in prayer inside the chapel. She announced that the Sacrament of Reconciliation would be available throughout the day and again the next morning and encouraged those who wished to receive the sacrament to do so.
Among those present were sisters Sue Greer and Kim Cusick, who came to honor the relics and remember their late mother, Theresa Delaney Cusick. Greer said, “Our mother really embodied the little way. She was such a humble person, and she belonged to the lay Carmelites. With St. Thérèse as her example, she lived her faith quietly but deeply.” She also recalled a phrase their mother often repeated during difficult times. “Whenever times got hard, she would tell us, ‘Don’t give up. Look up.’”
Kim Cusick said her mother’s faithful life reflected the spirit of St. Thérèse. “Mom was a devout Catholic, and she lived her life with humility and love,” she said.
Also present were Kevin and Meghan Dowker of Arlington with their children, Audrey and Owen. The couple is expecting their third child and recently learned their baby may be born with Down syndrome. While waiting outside with the children for his turn in the chapel, Kevin Dowker said, “During this pregnancy especially, Meghan has developed a real devotion to St. Thérèse.”
Meghan Dowker described what the saint’s example means to her. “Her little way has been a guide for me. St. Thérèse came from a holy family. Her parents are saints. Her example helps me in the small, everyday things. Chopping apples, doing the dishes, raising our kids. She reminds me that those tasks can be done with great love,” she said. She added that she hopes to carry this approach into the months ahead. “Nothing is too small to offer to God, and His love transforms everything.”
Inside the chapel, a long wooden bench had been placed before the reliquary for those coming forward to venerate the relics. Pilgrims approached in pairs, moving from the back of the church toward the front in a steady line. Some knew each other and knelt side by side, at times their shoulders touching.
Others were strangers who prayed in silence before the relics, their hands resting on the plexiglass protective covering of the reliquary, touching objects like rosaries or Bibles to the reliquary.
After a brief time at the reliquary, some returned to their seats and remained in prayer. Others stepped outside the chapel to rejoin family or wait for those still in line. The flow continued as more visitors entered, filling the space with a quiet rhythm of movement and reflection.
The Carmel of Port Tobacco, surrounded by wooded hills and marked by decades of prayer, offered a quiet setting for the visit of the relics. Throughout the day, visitors knelt at the reliquary, sat in the pews in prayer, or walked the grounds. The steady flow of pilgrims reflected the devotion St. Thérèse continues to inspire in those drawn to her little way.
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