Lisieux: The Pilgrimage

Just down the road from Amiens is the town of Lisieux. For us, Lisieux marked our first stop in the Normandy region. It is an old town with an old cathedral where in 1152 they say Eleanor of Aquitane married Henry II, King of England and Duke of Normandy.

The most famous resident of Lisieux, however, was Thèrése Martine who lived in the Carmelite convent on one of the hills overlooking the town. She was canonized a saint and is known to the French as Sainte Thérèse de l'Enfant-Jésus et de la Sainte Face. To English speakers, she is Saint Theresa the Little Flower. The Carmelite convent has become a place of pilgrimage, second only to Lourdes in the number of visitors.
A huge basilica has been built upon the hill to serve as a focal point for the pilgrims and a resting place for the saint's remains. The interior of the church is decorated with colorful mosaics which, unfortunately, do not photograph very well. The picture below shows a small chapel in the crypt. The picture above is a statue of Sainte Theresa. The custom is to leave pictures of loved ones and small notes of prayer around this statue. You can't see in the picture, but the floor around the statue is covered with these offerings.