Sorry, this video asset has been removed.

Video: Pilgrims gather to
pay homage to the relics of St Therese

by Katie Lamborn and Mary Graham

The relics of one of the most
popular Catholic saints attracted a 20,000 strong crowd to The
Friars, Aylesford.

The remains of St Therese of
Lisieux which are touring Britain, arrived at the Carmelite Friary
at the weekend attracting 10,000 people on the Saturday alone. Some
queued up to three hours to pray beside them, or have a quiet
moment nearby.

Arriving in a black hearse on
Friday St Therese was regaled by around 200 waving school children
who lined her path to the Relic chapel.

"She was a very simple nun who died
very young in Northern France," said Father Fernando Millan who is
Prior General of the Carmelites. "She had a very deep experience of
God. We can all learn from her goodness and love. "

Millions of people around the world
have prayed beside the relics during the world tour.

Wendy Emery, general manager of The
Friars said: "The weekend has just been phenomenal and we counted
146 coaches on the Saturday alone.

"The queues were quiet and peaceful
but everyone was given the time they wanted to be near St Therese.
There were a range of ages there, from babies in pushchairs to the
elderly."

Extra staff and volunteers were
drafted in to handle the extra crowds, who also queued throughout
Saturday night to see the casket, while Ditton Scout group helped
man car parks.

"We owe all of them a huge thanks,"
she added.

Jez Mordley lives in Germany, but
was in Aylesford just for the weekend. "Having already made the
pilgrimage to Rome to see the Pope it was almost the same level of
excitement…there was that spark, that little buzz of
excitement".

The holy relics attracted a crowd
of several thousand within minutes of their arrival in Britain in
September. Hundreds of Christians snaked around the Roman Catholic
cathedral in Portsmouth to light a candle and touch the Perspex
surrounding the casket of the saint, who lived from 1873 to
1897.

They are at Westminster Cathedral
until Thursday, October 15.

St Therese entered the Carmelite
convent of Lisieux at an early age and her canonisation followed in
1925. Her spiritual teaching, known as The Little Way advocated
simple, everyday responses to life and people’s relationships with
God.