Nattional Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica 2100 Twelve Mile Road Royal Oak, Michigan
The Crucifix 45
Blessed Virgin Chapel 49
Blessed Sacrament Chapel 47
Christ and the Moneychangers 37
The Cardinal Virtues 62
The Organ and Memorial Piano 65
The Relics' Visit 19
The Entrances 33
Blessed Miguel Pro 38
The Narthex 32
Contents
THE SACRISTY 67
The Side Chapels 46
National Shrine Designation 15
BACKGROUND OF THE SHRINE 9
Saint Sebastian Chapel 55
A Message From Monsignor William Easton 22 THE TOWER 24
The Sanctuary 43
The Ambo 44
The Woodwork 63
Saint Cecelia Mural 66
Minor Basilica Designation 17
The Baldachino 45
THE EXTERIOR OF THE CHURCH PROPER 31
The Main Altar 41
Saint Perpetua Chapel 53
Stations of the Cross 61
Saint Joseph Chapel 51
Sacred Heart Statue 57
INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH PROPER 41
Future Of Shrine: The Master Plan 21
LIFE OF SAINT THÉRÈSE 1
Saint Jude Statue 59
The Pulpit 63
DIOCESAN AND ORDER PRIESTS WHO HAVE SERVED SHRINE 101 Pastors 101 Priests 101
PERPETUAL ADORATION CHAPEL 85
HERITAGE HALL 87 THE BASEMENT 88 THE RECTORY 89 THE SAINT THÉRÈSE GROTTO GARDEN 91 THE SCHOOLS 93 THE ARTISTS 95 René Paul Chambellan 95 Corrado Giuseppe Parducci 96 Timothy Schmalz 97 Beatrice Wilczynski 97
MODELS USED BY BEATRICE WILCZYNSKI 99
THE WINDOWS, WALLS, CEILING, AND LIGHTS 70 SAINT THÉRÈSE CHAPEL 71 The Vestibule 71 Tryptichs of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Clare 72 Saint Christopher 73 Saint Anthony of Padua 74 Interior of the Chapel 78 The Baptismal Font 81 Saint Theresia Benedicta Memorial 83 Martin Family Room 84 Icon of Saint Louis and Zélie Martin 84
STATE FLOWERS LISTED ALPHABETICALLY 103 SAINTS AND BLESSEDS PORTRAYED IN SHRINE 105 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 107 REFERENCES 108 PRAYER TO SAINT THÉRÈSE 109
1876: Thérèse at Three years old
The five sisters—Marie, Pauline, Leonie, Céline, and Thérèse—created a lively household. Little Thérèse was blonde, blue-eyed, affectionate, mischievous, and precocious, yet capable of outbursts of temper and stubbornness. Zélie wrote, "Baby is a little imp: She'll kiss me, and at the same time, wish me to die. 'Oh, how I wish you would die, little Mother!' When I scold her,
Thérèse was a spiritual prodigy. At age three, she began
Surrounded by love
In her autobiography, A Story of a Soul, Thérèse wrote about her early years, "All my life, God surrounded me with love. My first memories are imprinted with the most tender smiles and caresses ... Those were the sunny years of my childhood. My happy disposition, contributed to making my life pleasing."
Life of Saint Thérèse
1she answers: 'It is because I want you to go to heaven, and you must die to get there!' She wishes the same for her father in her outbursts of affection for him. She is a nervous child, but she is very good, very intelligent, and remembers everything."
Thérèse, the youngest child of Louis and MarieAzélie (Guerin) Martin, was born on January 2, 1873. She was not a strong baby, and the doctors feared she would not survive. Two Martin baby boys had already died, as well as a five-year-old girl and a seven-week-old infant, all within three years. The Martins sadly prepared themselves for another loss. Zélie wrote regarding her three-month-old girl, "I have no hope of saving her. The poor little thing suffers horribly ... It breaks your heart to see her." However, the baby proved tougher than she seemed. A year later, she was a "big baby, browned by the sun." Zélie wrote, "The baby is full of life, giggles a lot, and is sheer joy to everyone." The baby was christened Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin. A century later, she would be called Saint Thérèse: the Little Flower.
“I feel that my mission is about to begin, my mission to make God loved as I love Him, to teach souls my little way." Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus spoke these words a few months before her death on September 30, 1897. When her sister, Mother Agnes of Jesus, asked her, ‘And what is this little way you want to teach to souls?’ Thérèse answered, ‘It is the way of spiritual childhood, the way of trust and absolute surrender.’”
The Martin family's faith in God was the focus of their lives which revolved around the liturgical year, pilgrimages, and a scrupulous regard for fast and abstinence. Their children were taught to respect poor people and to help those in need: abandoned children, the elderly, and beggars.
Saint Thérèse from "Story of a Soul"
fter witnessing the canonization of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux in Rome, Michael J. Gallagher, Bishop of the Diocese of Detroit, returned to Detroit determined to build a church in her honor, the first in this country. He chose the city of Royal Oak for the new parish, although only twenty-eight Catholic families resided there at the time. The Bishop believed the booming auto industry would attract many Catholics to the area. He chose as the new pastor a young priest who already had earned a reputation for stimulating Mass attendance: Father Charles E. Coughlin.
Bishop Gallagher recognized that Berkley and Royal Oak were strongholds for the Klan, but he also knew their threats would not intimidate the young, aggressive priest he had chosen as Pastor. He bid Father Coughlin to "build a church at the crossroads of faith and religious persecution. Build your church in the wilderness. Make it a missionary oasis in the desert of religious bigotry."
Father Coughlin resolved to "build a church and raise its cross so high to the sky that they, neither man nor beast, can burn it down." He concluded that such an outrageous act could have only been the result of ignorance: "It occurred to me that surely no Christian would dare to use the emblem of love and sacrifice and charity to express hatred. It must have been lighted not
1926 was a time of significant growth in the area, due, in part, to the Ford Motor Company raising its workers' pay to $5.00 for an eight-hour workday from $2.40 for nine hours. The offer attracted thousands of families from all over the United States, Canada, and Europe.
9 would be the ideal location for the new church. He borrowed $78,000 from Bishop Gallagher to purchase 18 lots and quickly erected a simple wooden building with a shingle roof approximately where the tower now "Soonstands. after we started building,"
Just as the new church was complete, the Klan delivered a challenge by burning a cross on its front lawn, along with a sign that read, "Move from Royal Oak."
A
Father Coughlin recounted much later in an interview, "I learned that the Ku Klux Klan was about to get a court injunction [because of a deed flaw] to stop construction. Michigan had one of those odd laws to the effect that no injunction could be issued once the roof was on. It was the start of a three-day holiday, so I rounded up a good bunch of carpenters, and we worked around the clock, by torchlight at night, and when the court opened Tuesday morning, the church was topped off." Its dedication was on June 26, 1926.
Twelve Mile Road was just a dirt road; muddy ruts and ditches were everywhere. "At that time, the Grand Trunk freight trains and an occasional passenger train thundered by not more than a hundred feet distant from the front of the church." described Father Coughlin in his parish memoirs. "Woodward Avenue was on the far side of the tracks. It was then a narrow strip of dilapidated pavement. To come from Woodward Avenue to the church, one had not only to cross the tracks but to drive over an obstructing hump of ground, not always knowing whether or not the motor would stall in the path of an oncoming train. Surrounding the church was an acre of mud. Twelve Mile road was merely a name for a lane in which resident parishioners and visiting strangers were often RoadcornerdecidedFatheritsruralitandMosquito-infestedmired."withoutsewers,wasverymuchasetting.Despitemanydrawbacks,CoughlinthattheofTwelveMileandWoodward
Bishop Michael Gallagher, Diocese of Detroit
Background of the Shrine
Father Charles Coughlin, Pastor
Father Coughlin, seeking a way to repay the $101,000 cost of the new church, turned to creative fund-raising. He asked his friend, Wish Egan, a scout for the Detroit Tigers, to invite ballplayers to the Shrine. Egan complied and brought Babe Ruth and several other New York Yankees. Ruth immediately took charge and told Father Coughlin, "Listen, Father, you say Mass and do the preaching, and leave the collection to us." With that, as Father Coughlin later recalled, "he gently but firmly assisted me to the altar and told me to keep the hell out of the Thousandsway."
by the torch of faith but rather by a brand snatched from the hell of ignorance."
With the parish still in desperate need of funds, Father Coughlin took the unprecedented and surprising step to rent airtime on the Detroit radio station, WJR. Commercial broadcasting in the United States was a six-year-old novelty when Father Coughlin's "Golden Hour" program began in the fall of 1926. His radio programs clarified the principles of Christianity and answered thousands of inquiries concerning faith and
10
Original Church
heard of the visit and mobbed the church. Ballplayers greeted each visitor with hats in their hands. Ruth personally saw to it that no one entered unless they contributed. Thanks to the Babe, the church coffers were enriched by ten thousand dollars.
Lower Left: Close-up of upper tower
Aerial photos by Ron Roth †
Lower Right: Tent-like roof of Shrine
15
National Shrine Designation
here as all the world passes by. In the way you accept the rhythm of the joys and sorrows in your own daily lives, may you bring the light of Christ to others, that they, too, may come and worship Him, now and for all eternity. On this feast of the Epiphany, like the star that showed Jesus to the whole world, so your parish and this Shrine will witness to the greatness, the love, that Christ has for all God's people."
Above the altar, the reredos (the decorated portion on the wall behind an altar) depicts Christ distributing Holy Communion to a young girl and boy. Carvings symbolic of the Eucharist surround the group. Beginning with the symbol on the upper left, a basket of loaves calls to mind the five loaves Christ used to feed the multitude on the mountain. Next, is a cluster of grapes often used to represent the Precious Blood. On the same side is a basket containing fish, an additional reminder of the miracle on the mountain.
The border for these symbols are the words the priest recites as he enters the most sacred part of the Mass: "Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth," ("Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabbath,") and "Adoremus in aeternum Sanctissimum Sacramentum," ("Let us adore for all eternity the most Blessed Sacrament.")
The3:94.altar
Over the tabernacle is a crown of gold bronze, supported by six columns also of gold bronze. Inside the tabernacle, a cedar-lined compartment contains two revolving shelves, a unique and practical arrangement. A door at the rear allows convenient access for the priest. When a sick call requires that he take the Blessed Sacrament to the dying, he can access the tabernacle without disturbing the celebrant.
More
of white marble is a traditional style, fronted by four columns carved out of Golden African onyx. The lion at the base of each column is a classic symbol of strength, power, courage, and dignity. Solomon employed the lion in the decoration of the temple and his palace. Carved into the front of the altar are the letters "IHCOYC XPICTOC" (Iesous Christos or Jesus Christ.) The predella, or step, is made of Red African Onyx from Morocco ornamented with a wooden frame of cherry and maple around a field of walnut. The altar has been consecrated and contains relics of Saints Agnes and UponCecilia.thealtar is a wrought-bronze tabernacle, three feet eleven inches high. It is heavily gold-plated and carved with symbols. On the door is a burning candle, symbol
Blessed Sacrament Chapel
"I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture." John 10:9
On the opposite side is the traditional pelican as used on the exterior door of the narthex. At the lower right is the anchor-cross, an ancient symbol of Christian hope, a symbol found on the stone slabs of the oldest sections of the Roman catacombs, especially in the cemetery of Saint Priscilla. Saint Paul wrote we have "Hope" set before us "as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm." (Hebrews 6:19-20)
spacious and formal than the other four side chapels, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel houses the tabernacle where the Eucharist reposes between liturgies. It is located directly east of the main altar, across from the entrance to the narthex. Flanking its entrance are precious onyx columns supporting tabernacle lamps. Bronze gates, wrought with a scroll and leaf design, enclose the chapel, serving as ornamentation as well as protection for the Blessed Sacrament chapel. The design of these gates, inspired by Old Spanish rejas (which means grate or grid) is unique in the church. Adoring angels topping each gate designate the chapel as the dwelling place of the Lord of Lords. Pilasters at each gate terminate in a flame, creating a "Burning Furnace of Charity," as Christ is called in the Litany of the Sacred Heart. "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!" Jesus exclaims in Luke
This12:49.chapel is a good illustration of how the architecture of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica is a "sermon in stone." Here the red hues of the Morocco Flame marble floor (burning coals) and the white walls (heat of the furnace) serve to remind us of the furnace of King Nebuchadnezzar in the third chapter of Daniel. When they refused to serve his false gods, the enraged king threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the white-hot furnace. Protected by God, "the fire had no power over the bodies of these men; not a hair of their heads had been singed, nor were their garments altered; there was not even a smell of fire about them." Daniel
Surmounting the chapel is a massive encompassing crown of wrought bronze and wrought nickel silver in scroll and leaf design. Above it, a skylight provides illumination.
47of Christ, the "Light of the World." Beneath it are the words, "Ego Sum Via Veritas Lux et Vita," (I am the Way, the Truth, the Light, and the Life). Portrayed in low relief are grapes and wheat, representing the Bread of Life and the Vine of Life, of which we are all branches.
The wood selected is some of the finest in existence. About 12,000 feet of wood were rejected in searching for the best. The wood is principally white oak, with poplar used for cross banding. For the pews alone, 35,219 feet of lumber were used. The church was designed to seat approximately 3000 people.
A dove with outstretched wings, symbolic of the Holy Spirit, hovers above on a cruciform panel. Each feather of the white dove, rendered in relief, is shaded with blue and purple tints to harmonize with the reflections of the lantern windows. Its halo is 23-karat gold leaf. The double circle of flame surrounding the dove symbolizes the love of the Father and the Son. Inside the circle are
inscribed the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, while the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit surround the cross. The cross itself reminds us of the urging of Saint Paul to "preach Christ crucified."
The Woodwork
Beatrice Wilczynski painted the lower ring of figures, but the upper ring remained unpainted for many years. The exact reason for this is not known, but the story is Beatrice was afraid of heights and feared to work on the high scaffolding necessary to reach the frieze. Others surmise the conservative Father Coughlin objected to Beatrice working in the church in pants, and she objected to working that high in a skirt. Eventually, John Nalepa painted the figures during the restoration of 1996. He also painted the ceiling.
is a canopy that serves as a public address unit. The entire speaker-enclosure is wood, richly ornamented with carved grilles, through which the sound radiates into the church proper. Each grille is intricately fashioned from a solid panel, which required approximately eight hours for one man to complete.
The frieze that borders the bottoms and tops of the pulpit and the balcony fronts consists of whimsical figures of birds, flowers, animals, the sun, and the moon, all the creatures mentioned in the Canticle "Benedicite" from Scriptures. Taken from the third chapter of Daniel verses 57 through 88, the Benedicite is the song of praise sung by Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego as they withstood the flames of King Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace. "Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all forever." This frieze symbolizes all the kingdoms gathered around the altar in the center of the church.
The architectural wood carving in the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica was executed according to a planned scheme of historical and religious significance. Carvers who specialized in architectural carving, which is distinctly different from furniture carving, performed the work. The artisans received their training under the famous Langs of Oberammergau in Germany. The carving began as clay models, which were made by J. Jungwirth & Co. of Detroit. The figures were executed by hand with the use of a mallet and chisel by the same method that was used by the great English carver, Gringling Gibbon, during the period from 1670 to 1720.
The Pulpit
The ornamental pulpit is positioned over the Blessed Sacrament Chapel so the congregation can view it from any part of the church. A winding staircase on the south side of the Blessed Sacrament chapel serves as its entrance. Preacher-saints representing each of the six religious orders ornament the pulpit's facade: Saint Francis Xavier, Apostle of the Indies; Saint Basil, eloquent fourthcentury priest; Saint Francis of Assisi, the troubadour of Christ; Saint Dominic; thirteenth-century preacher; Saint Paul; Apostle of Gentiles, and Saint Athanasius, defender of the doctrine of Christ's divinity. Sculpture Corrado G. Parducci made the models for these statues, which were later painted by the Chicago artist, Beatrice AboveWilczynski.thepulpit
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Glass
The background is a cross draped with the burial cloth which wrapped Christ's body when placed in His grave. The figures are in full relief, carved out of one solid piece of Carrara marble. The piece weighs approximately seven tons and required two years to complete. Rene Chambellan, the same artist who fashioned the figure of Christ on the church tower, created this sculpture.
The altar beneath the statue is one of three consecrated altars in the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica (the others are the main altar and the Blessed Sacrament altar.) This altar contains second-class relics of Saint Thérèse (an item she used) as well as that of two martyrs. It is composed of Italian Pavonazzo, Convent Siena, and Fleur de Peche marbles. The predella, or step, is made of
doors lead to the lovely chapel dedicated to Saint Thérèse. Those who designed it sought to express some of the unique qualities of her spirit. This inspiration underlies its simple charm. The chapel has the proportions of a small church and has been used occasionally for small funerals and weddings. Dominating this sanctum is the striking sculpture above the altar, set under the center of the tower. The marble group is one of the largest and finest quality of its kind in existence. It depicts Baby Jesus sitting on Mary's lap, presenting a rose (which symbolizes blessings) to Saint Thérèse. She drops the rose to earth, fulfilling her famous promise "After my death, I will let fall from heaven a shower of roses."
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Interior of the Chapel
Adoration is the worship of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, a devotion in which the Eucharist remains exposed on the altar in a monstrance for the public to adore, worship, and pray before. In this chapel, members of the parish and community pray 24 hours a day seven days a week with at least one adorer present at all times.
The wooden altar is carved with a pelican and her hungry brood, a symbol that is also on the southern door of Saint Thérèse Chapel. When starvation threatens the lives of her young ones, a pelican pierces her breast with her bill and feeds them her blood. Pelicans symbolize fidelity and represent Christ, who on the Cross and in the Eucharist gave His blood to nourish our souls.
Perpetual
statue of Saint Thérèse. The altar, tabernacle-lamp, and holy water fonts came from the old convent, the pews from Saint Thérèse chapel, and the tabernacle from the main church.
The devotion of Perpetual Adoration began in the National Shrine of the Little Flower Parish in February 1988. Since that time, it has been housed successively in a makeshift chapel in the rectory, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in the main church, and in the small convent chapel once used by the Sisters of Charity. In 2006, it moved to its permanent location in what was once known as the Coughlin Building, the small, charming building now connected via Heritage Hall to the east of the church.
The building has had many uses over the years. Its initial function was as a reliquary for Father Coughlin’s extensive collection of relics, some of which are still on display. The building later became a gift shop for the many visitors to Shrine. It has also been a music house, a library, a meeting room, and a kindergarten.
The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet Him in adoration, in contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for the serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our adoration never cease. John Paul II.
The design of the building is rural French, reminiscent of the original church. The roofline is similar to that of the wood-shingled church, although this roof is slate. Incorporated into the design are two oak porches and doors that once led into the first Shrine. In the gable facing Twelve Mile Road, the face brick of the old chimney has been used as nogging between the timberwork. Inside, the ceiling line and the exposed oak timbers also suggest the original. A specially designed niche holds a life-size
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In 2020, during the Covid-19 Pandemic, Perpetual Adoration was temporarily moved to the second floor window of the rectory to keep adorers safe. Parishioners and members of the local community worshiped in their cars or sitting on the curb. This is the only time Perpetual Adoration was interupted since it began in 1988.
Adoration allows us to spend time with our Lord, Jesus Christ, and to experience His love and presence. Spending time with the Blessed Sacrament enables us to converse with the Lord in a unique way. In Eucharistic Adoration, we can feel the love of Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament and receive from Him strength, consolation, and support.
Perpetual Adoration Chapel
“Devoutly to approach Christ hidden in this mystery is to become renewed in the Christian Life. To show both exterior and interior signs of reverence is to be lifted beyond the commonplace, to remember spiritual realities as Saint Paul advises. Silence, reverence, gratitude, loving devotion can flood the soul if one is blessed to do this for an hour.”
Father Benedict J. Groeschel
“Jesus deigned to teach me this mystery. He set before me the book of nature; I understood how all the flowers He has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little
the world of souls, Jesus’ garden. He willed to create great souls comparable to lilies and roses, but He has created smaller ones and these must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God’s glances when He looks down at His feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be.”
Andwildflowers.soitisin
Saint Thérèse
Mr.York.Chambellan
When he returned to the United States, his interest centered on bronzes, bas-reliefs, and panels of heroic design. He taught sculpture at New York University from 1937 through 1940 and maintained a studio on East Thirty-ninth Street, New York, for many years. For many interior decorations, he collaborated with eminent architects, such as Grover Atterbury and Raymond Hood. In 1939, he created a large group of figures displayed during the World's Fair at Flushing Flower Park, Queens, New
René Paul Chambellan was an internationally renowned architectural artist who conceived and executed the sculptures in many world-famous structures. Among them were Radio City Music Hall, the sunken gardens and fountains at Rockefeller Center, and Chicago's Tribune Tower. He received numerous awards for his work, including the Sterling Memorial Plaque.
The Artists
panels and decorations are in the Sterling Library at Yale University, the Pershing Stadium in Vincennes, France, at Northwestern and Cornell Universities, and Lafayette College. Other works are in the Firestone Memorial Library at Princeton University, the Science Building at Queens College, and the New York Life Insurance Building in New York Mr. Chambellan's invaluable contributions to the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica are the Corpus on the Charity Crucifixion Tower and the sculptural relief in Saint Thérèse Chapel. In 1955, he died in Jersey City, New Jersey, at the age of 62.
René Paul Chambellan
Born in the West Hoboken section of Union City, New Jersey, he attended New York University from 1912 to 1914. From there, he went to Beaux-Arts Institute of Design, graduated in 1917, and then received additional training at the École Julian in Paris, France.
was considered one of the leading designers of medallions. Among his notable creations are the Newberry Medal, designed in 1921, and the Caldecott Medal, created in 1937. These medals are the most prestigious awards in children's Hisliterature.sculptured
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Room a young Italian war bride Beatrice met in TheChicago.othertwo angels were not posed.
Mike Flajole modeled for the poses of Saint Francis, but his face was not used.
Models Used by Beatrice Wilczynski
Panels near Saint Sebastian: Frederick Hawlik posed for the events in the life of Saint Sebastian.
Over Edith Stein Chapel, a niece of Alberta Ward, Father OverofficeCoughlin'sassistant.MartinFamily
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The four angels in the upper right were the four original secretaries —Marie Rhoades, Dorothy Rhoades, Jean Burke and Amy Collins ThePigeon.Priest in the catacombs is Monsignor W.J. O'Brien of Chicago.
Panels near Saint Perpetua:
The companion painting depicts Reverend Peter Wiethe, O.F.M. holding a sacrificial lamb of the Old Law. Father Peter also served the Shrine in the early years.
Saint Francis
The boy in the football uniform was posed by John Joseph Rusher, TheJr. boy on left-hand side, dressed in a suit, was posed by Warren Calvin White.
The standing figure in the companion painting is Reverend Albert M. Hutting, also an assistant priest serving at the Shrine at the time of its construction. Father Hutting authored the original guidebook entitled "Shrine of the Little Flower".
Four large angels in Saint Thérèse Chapel:
Triptychs:
The standing figure in the painting to the left of the washbasins is Reverend Charles E. Coughlin. The priest with the harp is Reverend Cassian Sand, O.F.M., who served Shrine in the early years.
Sacristy:
The names of those who posed for the Sacristy paintings depicting the sacrifice of the Old Law and the New Law can be found painted on their robes.
Sister Jeanne D'Arc Evans, Sister of Charity from Saint Joseph, Ohio posed for Saint Clare.
On the west wall of the sacristy, in the panel to the right of the wash basins, the kneeling priest is Reverend Cyril J. Keating. He was one of the assistant priests at the Shrine at the time of its construction and thereafter.
Egbert Fischer OFM 1931 Leonard Foley OFM 1952-1955
Joseph Gerardi 2000-2003
Fr. Charles E. Coughlin 1925-1966
Fr. Edward A. Belczak (Co-Pastors) 1975-1980
Daniele Criscione PIME Present Charles Cushing 1967-1973 (Chaplain Beaumont Hospital)
Fr. Edward J. Prus 1980-1987
Ronald J. Alder 1972-1975
John de Deo OFM 1930-1932
Fr. Edward Haggerty 1987-1990
Pastor/Rector/Bishop Robert J. Fisher 2014-2017 Pastor/Rector/Bishop McClory 2017-2020
Thomas J. Burke 1930
Pastors
Robert Bauer 1988-1994
Priests
Fr. Joseph Horn 2020 - Present
Hyacinty Blocker OFM 1931
Urban Freundt OFM 1939-1940
Patrick Gonyeau 2013-2016
Christopher Hites OSB 1955-1957
Msgr./Bishop Alexander Brunett 1991-1994 Msgr./Bishop John Nienstedt 1994-1996 Msgr. William Easton 1996-2013
Raymond Balko OSB 1936-1937
Anthony Camilleri 2010-2014
101 Adrian Doherty MSSsT 1950-1952
Gregory Diebold OFM 1961 Dennis DiPaolo 1984-1987
Michael N. Cooney 1975-1980 Fred Costello 1928
Ryan Adams 2014-2017
Aloysius OFM 1931
Michael Heppen CSC 2003-2007
Dennis D. Duggan 1980-1984
Donald M. Clark 1982
Maurice C. Decker 1965-1968 Ignatius DeClairac SJ 1960-1961
Edward A. Belczak 1972-1975
Ronald T. Browne 1992-1995
Fr. James L. Hayes 1966-1974
Fr. Edward J. Prus &
Diocesan And Order Priests Who Have Served the National Shrine Of The Little Flower
Walter H. Ford 1954
Dacian W. Batt OFM 1965-1966
Adalberto Espinoza 2010-2013
Msgr. John Gordon, Administrator 1990-1991
Dennis M. Fallon 1969-1971
Beno Brink OSB 1930 Gerald Brinkman OFM 1957-1958
William Faber OFM 1931-1935
Walter D. Bracken 1956-1961
Harold J. Assenmacher 1934-1936
Richard M. Haney 1950-1953
Reginald Brady 1996-2000
James A. Callahan 1933-1934
OSB Benedictine Monks
James A.J. Sheridan MM 1968-1969
Robert F. Zindler 1964-1969
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Henry W. Traub SJ 1969-1972
Paul V. Matheson 1952-1956
OFM Franciscan Fathers
Orders
Timothy Szott 1992 (in residence)
Robert Liberty 2003-2006 Conrad Link OFM 1930-1932
Ralph J. Vigneau 1945-1950
James Smalarz 2006-2008
Francis Xavier OFM 1933 Radek Zablocki Present
Cassian Sand OFM 1932-1942
Michael C. LeFevre 1983-1986
Thomas M. Kenny 1940-1945 Timothy Kesicki SJ 1996-2000 Robert Kilcoyne 1954-1959 B.W. Kilfoyle OFM 1934-1935 Thomas Kirwan 1983-1984
Charles G. Kosanke 1986-1988 Alex Kratz, OFM Present Jerome L. Kreig 1946-1952 Vincent Kroger OFM 1930-1931 Stanley Krogulecki 1968-1969 Joseph Lang 2007-Present Richard R. Lauinger 1965-1969 Paul Lederman 1953-1954
Anthony Sulkowski 1987-1989
Scott Thibodeau 2001-2003
Patrick J. Tiernan 1928-1929
Thomas F. Tulley 1930-1934
John McKenzie 2019-Present Jeffrey M. Monforton 1994-1996 Aurelian Munch OFM 1946-1949 William J. Murphy 1961-1965 Krzysztof Nowak 2007-2010 William R. Palmer 1963-1965 Siaosi Patau 2008 Juvenal Pfalzer OFM 1952-1958 Clyde Pidgeon 1981-1982 Diomede Pohlkamp OFM 1940 Edward J. Prus 1969-1975 Thomas Puzio 1989-1992 Ralph L. Quane 1995-1997 Thomas F. Rodgers CSSp 1950-1966 Kevin Roelant 2016-2019 Louis Rohr OFM 1942-1945,1958-1961& Clifford Ruskowski 1969-1972
Simon Schmitt 1939
Mark Livingston 2020-Present Bernard C. Loeher 1961-1962 (in residence) Reginald Lutomski OFM 1930-1933 Thomas Lynch 1929 Barnabas MacAlarney OFM 1931 Phil Mayfield PIME Present Tomasz Maka 2003-2007
CICM Missionhurst Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary CSC Priests of the Congregation Congreg of Holy Cross CSSp Holy Ghost Fathers MM Maryknoll Fathers
Raymond Zeugner 1967
Robert Sable 1973-1974 (in residence)
Timothy D. Hogan 1982-1983 Joseph Horn 1997-2001 Florence Hoste OFM 1945-1949,1955-1965&
Lambert Smits CICM 1997-2004 (in residence)
Christopher Schneider OFM 1957-1958
Peter B. Wiethe OFM 1937-1946
Howard G. Hungerford 1941-1946 Albert M. Hutting 1934-1939 Marek Jarosz 2004-2005 Jorge Jorge SJ 1966-1969 Dennet Jung OFM Present Pawel Kaczmarczyk 2007-2010 Cyril Keating 1934-1941
MSSsT Congregation of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity
Karl Kiser SJ 2000-2001, 2004 Cronan Kline OFM 1961-1965 Robert B. Koenig 1959-1964 John Kopson 2017-2020
Gary Schulte 1980-1983
PIME Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions SJ Jesuits
