One picture-perfect day in late spring, Mary and I thought it high time to make a pilgrimage to one of our favorite saints honored sites — Shrine of the Little Flower in Rhode Island.

The quiet northwestern corner of the "Ocean State" seems an unlikely place for the first shrine in the Americas to the Little Flower, but it's symbolic that the smallest state honors a saint whose spirituality teaches us "The Little Way."

Driving onto the grounds of this shrine and parish in Harrisville (although the shrine's website lists Nasonville), we immediately felt the serenity that's always so tangible here. There was the original brick church-school all spruced up, the recent statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Holy Stairs still beckoning pilgrims to climb them prayerfully. Farther on we could see several new additions, and well past them, idyllic green fields.

The parish formed in 1923, just months after Thérèse of Lisieux was beatified. In fact, the diocese's Bishop William Hickey suggested the parish be placed under her patronage and gave special permission for a shrine in her honor.

The church-school, one of three edifices built then, was dedicated before Thérèse's canonization in 1925, using the common American spelling of her name at the time — "Theresa."

Just after the parish started, a miracle took place that put a stamp of approval on the shrine. A parishioner named Mrs. Olivier Faford had been seriously ill for years. Bedridden, unable to speak or eat, she was given up as incurable by Boston specialists. The first pastor brought her Communion and told her to turn to St. Theresa. The next day, Faford spoke, got out of bed by herself, and ate a hearty meal. Her doctors called it a miracle.

Soon, the outdoor shrine and altar were built. Among early visitors was Brother André, founder of St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal. He visited twice and donated a crucifix. Next to be built was the Scala Sancta — the Holy Stairs.

The present Scala Sancta, dedicated in 1956, has wide limestone and granite stairs rising nearly three stories. First, on wood and concrete pews forming a chapel, one can sit and meditate on Christ's passion before climbing the Holy Stairs to the nearly life-size crucifixion scene, complete with a reproduction of the miraculous 17th-century Limpias Crucifix.

This high vantage point gave us a sweeping view of stately trees forming a giant canopy. Under them, a wide semi-circular walk follows the Stations of the Cross.

Close up, their stone relief scenes date to 1941 and are sheltered within very tall wayside shrines formed of stones from all 48 continental states. The stones' textures vary from smooth to craggy and are of various colors. Shades of black stone make for a somber 12th station; the 13th mixes lots of white and coral stone from Florida.

Cured Woman's Legacy

At the side of the Scala Sancta, Father Gerard Caron, pastor, and Jerry Finelli, who is the shrine co-coordinator along with his wife, Shirley, showed us the Pietà statue, which was added in 2002. It's one of the many ways the shrine keeps constantly developing and expanding. Just in this area, there are three stone-covered chapel rooms recently built under the Holy Stairs.

The first honors the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Mother and contains life-size statues original to the church: the Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Grace — donated by Faford. Her grandson is a current parishioner.

Outside, we followed the circular path around the adjoining Garden of the Saints. Popular saints — all friends of Thérèse — are lined up like a heavenly but humble hall of fame. Among them are Jude, Michael, Peter, Raphael, Rose of Lima, Padre Pio, Anthony, Joseph with the Child Jesus, and Anne with her daughter, Mary. At the head of the garden is a life-size Holy Family.

For this outdoor altar, parish volunteers built wood and cement pews under canopies arched into a chapel roof. Usually, 1,500 pilgrims fill the space to celebrate the day-long annual feast of the Little Flower. Rather than her actual feast day (Oct. 1), the shrine celebrates on the third Sunday of August when weather is more predictable, which is Aug. 17 this year.

Convent Open Again

On the other side of this outdoor sanctuary we headed to the paved rosary walk, which begins with a tall crucifix and statues of the Sacred Heart, St. Thérèse and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Pilgrims can pray the 15-decade Rosary with beads carved from timbers. Each decade drapes between posts holding "Our Father" beads. Inside the great circle of the rosary is a stone fountain with a statue of Our Lady of Peace — an appropriate symbol for the peace enveloping the whole shrine.

Across the lawn we had another wonderful surprise. The former convent is again in use. We were met by Sister Grace, all in white habit, one of the consecrated virgins there. She explained to us the meaning of Thérèse's coat-of-arms, which were emblazoned over an entrance. The grapes in them, said the Little Flower, were an image of herself to refresh the Child Jesus.

Sister Grace guides the new one-room museum on St. Thérèse's life, and helps lead daily devotions like the Rosary and the Divine Mercy chaplet.

The convent now has an expanded chapel for visitors. We venerated her first-class relics: bone, hair, nails and skin.

There are lots of stories of healings here, Jerry Finelli told us, from spiritual to physical. They don't get officially documented, but he, Father Caron and Sister Grace hear them. These stories — and the roses painted on the side chapel's wall, around the tabernacle, and the image of Divine Mercy — reminded us St. Thérèse keeps her promise here, as elsewhere, to "let fall from heaven a shower of roses."

Staff writer Joseph Pronechen

writes from Trumbull, Connecticut.