About National Shrine of St. Therese · Darien, Illinois
The National Shrine of St. Therese in Darien, Illinois, is a Catholic national shrine dedicated to St. Thérèse of Lisieux ("the Little Flower") and operated by the Carmelites of the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary on a 40-acre Aylesford Carmelite campus. It is supported and served by the Society of the Little Flower, a religious organization devoted to the saint, and houses what is described as the largest collection of Little Flower relics and memorabilia outside of Lisieux, France. Daily Mass is celebrated in the Shrine Monday through Friday at 11:30 a.m., and thousands of pilgrims from around the world visit each year for the Feast Day of St. Thérèse on October 1, for organized tour programs, and for quiet prayer on the grounds.
- Established
- 1923
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (the "Little Flower")
- Rector
- Fr. Tom Schrader, O. Carm. (Director, Society of the Little Flower)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Joliet (the Shrine is a Carmelite-run national shrine; the Bishop of Joliet dedicated the new Shrine in 2018 and anointed the altar with chrism)
Why belong here
The National Shrine of St. Therese offers a rare combination of daily Mass in a Carmelite spiritual setting, an internationally significant collection of first-class relics and memorabilia of St. Thérèse, and a peaceful 40-acre campus of gardens, walking paths, a lake, and a Meditation Garden with Stations of the Cross — all of it free to enter. Pilgrims are drawn here for the annual Feast Day celebration on October 1, the novena-style Tuesday devotions that have continued since the Shrine's earliest days, organized tour programs, and the unique chance to venerate relics such as a full-sized replica of Thérèse's convent cell with second-class relics. For Catholics devoted to the Little Flower's "little way" of spiritual childhood, the Shrine is the principal national center of that devotion in the United States, and visitors are warmly welcomed as individuals, families, or tour groups.
Mass times at National Shrine of St. Therese
Weekly Mass schedule
History of the National Shrine of St. Therese
The first National Shrine to St. Thérèse began in 1923 at St. Cyril's Church in Chicago. As devotion to the Little Flower grew, it was moved to the larger St. Clara's Carmelite Church on Chicago's south side, where Tuesday novenas drew thousands. After a 1975 fire destroyed St. Clara's and the original Shrine, the Carmelites relocated the relics to the Aylesford Carmelite campus in Darien — a 40-acre property the order had purchased in 1959 from the estate of U.S. Congressman Martin B. Madden. A new Shrine was built there and dedicated on November 1, 1987, under the direction of Fr. Terry Sempowski, O. Carm. After Fr. Bob Colaresi led the 1999–2000 North American Relics Tour, the Shrine was expanded and re-blessed in February 2002. A major gift from the Margie & Robert E. Petersen Foundation then funded the current Shrine building — three times the size of the former chapel — which was dedicated on October 1, 2018, the Feast Day of St. Thérèse.
- 1923: First National Shrine opens at St. Cyril's Church, Chicago
- 1925: St. Thérèse canonized; relics and personal effects sent from Lisieux
- 1950s: USCCB formally designates the site a National Shrine
- 1959: Carmelites purchase the Madden estate in Darien, creating the Aylesford Carmelite campus
- 1975: Fire destroys St. Clara's and the original Shrine
- 1987 (Nov 1): New Shrine dedicated on the Aylesford campus, Darien
- 1999–2000: Relics of St. Thérèse tour North America, led by Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm.
- 2002 (Feb): Expanded Shrine blessed (roughly doubled capacity)
- 2014–15: Extensive renovation of the Shrine Museum
- 2018 (Oct 1): New, three-times-larger Shrine dedicated; Bishop of Joliet anoints the altar with chrism
The Shrine Building & Architecture
The current Shrine was designed by Charles Vincent George Architects, constructed by International Contractors, Inc. as Construction Manager, and built with a custom golden blend of natural stone from Jireh Stone. The 14,500-square-foot Shrine and Museum features radial stone walls with limestone caps, a circular skylight over a rose tile inlay floor at the entry, and a sanctuary ring supporting a nearly 30-foot-tall aluminum cross. The signature feature is a 40-foot-tall window of frosted glass etched with a 24-foot image of St. Thérèse — smiling and welcoming. A walk-through stone clock tower and an illuminated colonnade connect the Shrine to the Museum and other campus buildings.
- Architect: Charles Vincent George Architects
- Construction Manager: International Contractors, Inc.
- Masonry: Certified Masonry, Inc., with Jireh Stone
- 14,500 square feet (Shrine and Museum combined)
- 40-foot frosted-glass window with 24-foot image of St. Thérèse
- Nearly 30-foot-tall aluminum cross above the sanctuary
- Walk-through stone clock tower and illuminated colonnade
- Stained-glass window depicting the soul's journey to God (after St. John of the Cross)
- Largest wood carving of a religious nature in the United States (life of St. Thérèse)
The Museum & Relics
Adjacent to the Shrine, the National Shrine Museum is described as the largest and best collection of Little Flower relics and memorabilia outside of Lisieux, France. Highlights include several first-class relics of St. Thérèse, second-class relics housed in a full-sized replica of her convent cell, the original door to her room, tiles from her cell, photographs of her, paintings of scenes from her life, a Prayer Gazebo, and a video-screen presentation that explains the exhibits. The Museum was extensively renovated and updated in 2014–15, in part thanks to the Carmelite nuns' own renovation of their Lisieux convent, which allowed additional precious relics and gifts of St. Thérèse to be brought to Darien.
- Several first-class relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
- Full-sized exact replica of her convent cell with second-class relics
- Original door to her room and tiles from her cell
- Photographs and paintings of scenes from her life
- Prayer Gazebo
- Video-screen presentations explaining the museum's contents
- Largest religious wood carving in the United States (life of St. Thérèse)
- Stained-glass window after St. John of the Cross's Ascent of Mount Carmel
Mass, Devotions & Liturgical Life
Mass is celebrated in the Shrine Monday through Friday at 11:30 a.m., in the beautiful 2018 Shrine building located at 8433 Bailey Road, just across the drive from the National Shrine Museum. The Mass features special prayer areas for the Infant of Prague and St. Thérèse. The long-standing tradition of Tuesday novenas to St. Thérèse — a hallmark of the original 1923 Chicago Shrine — continues to be associated with the Shrine's devotional life. The Feast Day of St. Thérèse is celebrated every year on October 1 with Mass, veneration of the relics, and special talks about the saint known as the "little flower." Video recordings of daily Masses are available on the Society of the Little Flower website and on YouTube; the National Shrine mobile app also streams weekday Masses and offers daily inspiration.
- Daily Mass, Monday–Friday, 11:30 a.m. (Shrine building, 8433 Bailey Rd.)
- Tuesday novenas to St. Thérèse (tradition since 1923)
- Annual Feast Day celebration on October 1
- Special prayer areas for the Infant of Prague and St. Thérèse
- Daily Mass video archive on the website and YouTube channel
- National Shrine mobile app with daily inspiration and Mass videos
Visiting the Shrine & Museum
The National Shrine and Museum are open every day of the week, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Central Time, and are closed only on major holidays. Admission is always free and no reservations are required for individual visitors. The Shrine and Museum are wheelchair accessible, and there is ample free parking on site. The 40-acre Aylesford Carmelite campus also includes a lake, walking paths, the Carmelite Meditation Garden, an outdoor Stations of the Cross, a processional walk with devotional stations dedicated to Carmelite saints (including Sts. John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila), and the Carmelite Gift Shop inside the Shrine building.
- Hours: Monday–Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT
- Closed on major holidays
- Free admission; no reservations required for individuals
- Wheelchair accessible; ample free parking
- 40-acre campus with lake, walking paths, Meditation Garden, Stations of the Cross
- Carmelite Gift Shop inside the Shrine building
Group Tours & Pilgrimages
The Shrine welcomes both individual visitors and organized tour groups, and each year thousands of pilgrims from around the world come to Darien. Two main group programs are offered: a 1-Hour Daytime Tour of the Shrine Museum ($15 per person, minimum 20) and a Half-Day Tour running 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ($25 per person, minimum 20) with lunch available for purchase. Most tours include Mass in the National Shrine, an interactive talk on the life of St. Thérèse with Q&A, a guided tour of the Museum and its relics and artifacts, free time for prayer in the Meditation Garden (weather permitting), a visit to the Carmelite Gift Shop, and a video on the life of the Little Flower. Tour reservations are taken in advance.
- 1-Hour Daytime Tour — $15/person, minimum 20 people
- Half-Day Tour (10:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.) — $25/person, minimum 20 people
- Includes Mass, interactive talk on St. Thérèse's life, guided Museum tour, free prayer time, gift shop, and video
- Lunch available for purchase on the half-day tour
- Reservations taken in advance for organized groups
The Society of the Little Flower
The Society of the Little Flower is a Roman Catholic organization founded in 1923 — the same year as the original Shrine — to support the Carmelite mission and spread devotion to St. Thérèse of Lisieux. It now numbers nearly 300,000 members and serves and supports the National Shrine and Museum of St. Therese. The Society's director (Fr. Tom Schrader, O. Carm., since 2018) oversees its work, and members are invited to submit prayer petitions that are remembered in the daily Shrine Mass. The Society also publishes the Between Friends newsletter and operates the National Shrine mobile app.
- Founded 1923; nearly 300,000 members today
- Director: Fr. Tom Schrader, O. Carm.
- Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm., continues to serve at the Shrine
- Christopher Kulig, O. Carm. — Assistant Coordinator
- Online prayer-petition submissions (remembered in daily Mass)
- Between Friends newsletter
- National Shrine mobile app
The Aylesford Carmelite Campus
The National Shrine sits at the heart of a 40-acre Carmelite campus in Darien, named after Aylesford Priory in England, the Carmelite Order's motherhouse. The campus is home to multiple Carmelite institutions in addition to the Shrine and Museum, including the Carmelite Spiritual Center (a retreat center offering day, weekend, and week-long retreats), the Carmelite Meditation Garden, the Carmelite Gift Shop, the Provincial Headquarters of the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, Lay Carmelites, and Carmelite Media (the media office for the Order of Carmelites). The whole campus is conceived as a place of pilgrimage and prayer, with new outdoor shrines dedicated to Carmelite saints being added to the grounds.
- Carmelite Spiritual Center (retreat center)
- Carmelite Meditation Garden
- Carmelite Gift Shop
- Provincial Headquarters, Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary
- Lay Carmelites
- Carmelite Media
- Landscaped grounds, lake, walking paths, devotional stations for Carmelite saints
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Terry Sempowski, O. Carm.
Director of the Little Flower Society; oversaw design and construction of the 1987 Shrine building on the Aylesford Carmelite campus.
- Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm.
Led the 1999–2000 North American relics tour; oversaw the 2002 Shrine expansion and 2014–15 Museum renovation; continued to serve at the National Shrine and Museum of St. Therese after handing directorship to Fr. Tom Schrader.
- Fr. Tom Schrader, O. Carm.
Current Director of the Society of the Little Flower; arrived in Darien in June 2018; helped oversee the dedication of the new National Shrine on October 1, 2018.
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