Thursday, 22 September 2011

Memories of the visit of the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux to our diocese are still strong. So it is with eager anticipation that we can expect Little Way Week, coming up at the beginning of October, to be a happy period.

Dominic, of Christ the King parish in Walkden, remembers the week with enthusiasm: "It was a special occasion and certainly helped increase my faith. To see so many people file past the relics helped me remember that we are never alone as Catholics, and that there is always help from heaven".

The official title is "Little Way Week: Witness Through Service". It takes place from 1st to 7th October.

During that time, the Church in England and Wales is inviting people to do seven small actions – one a day for a week – to witness to their faith through service.

The initiative takes its inspiration from St Thérèse of Lisieux, the universal Patroness of Mission, who gave to the Church a teaching called the ‘Little Way’; the saint lived by this pathway which is a commitment to do small tasks every day with love. It is a simple way of witnessing to the love of God and neighbour.

This year the initiative is being offered in support of the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the UK who said to those gathered in Oscott in 2010: “I know that you will take a lead in calling for solidarity with those in need. The prophetic voice of Christians has an important role in highlighting the needs of the poor and disadvantaged, who can so easily be overlooked in the allocation of limited resources. In their teaching document Choosing the Common Good, the Bishops of England and Wales underlined the importance of the practice of virtue in public life. Today’s circumstances provide a good opportunity to reinforce that message” (19th September 2011).

Little Way Week this year also coincides with the release (3rd October) of a DVD entitled ‘Relics and Roses’ which is a documentary about the UK tour of the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux two years ago. Filmed by Michael Whyte, the DVD features exclusive interviews with the Archbishop of Westminster, the Dean of York and a number of pilgrims.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols said: “This attractive film about the relics of St Thérèse to this country is a sensitive exploration of devotion in the Catholic community. The impressionistic film shows the strong and living faith of Catholics in this country, while also giving space for other points of view. The excellent editing allows for moments of humour and great insight, posing important questions about life and faith, ultimately witnessing to the value and fruits of prayer.”

Downloadable resources to support Little Way Week are available from: http://www.catholicchurch.org.uk/Catholic-Church/Home-Mission/Latest-News 

Little Way Week is part of a year-long programme called ‘Some Definite Service’ that was launched in January 2011 to support people to take a new step in response to Pope Benedict’s visit. See: http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/Visit-Legacy for more details.