All for the Love of God

Every morning at 6 AM, Shirley Blyther opens the doors to Saint Therese Church. The church is quiet this early in the morning, and Shirley has not yet turned on the lights. She cherishes this time alone with the Lord. Shirley is the sacristan of Saint Therese Parish. She believes it is a blessing—a gift—to perform the duties required of a sacristan, which include preparing the church for prayer and worship. Shirley is responsible for washing all the altar cloths and linens used during Mass.

After turning on the sound, Shirley proceeds to prepare the credence table, the small table for the water and wine cruets, the lavabo (bowl), and the cleansing towel. Before Mass begins, she lights the candles on both sides of the tabernacle and the candelabras on the altar. After Mass, Shirley extinguishes these candles and checks the level of liquid paraffin in the candelabras. She cleanses all the vessels over the sacrarium, the drain in the sacristy leading directly to the earth, for disposal of water used in washing chalices, altar linens, and so on. She makes sure that everything is prepared and ready for the next day’s Mass. After the Mass celebration and the congregation has left the church, Shirley closes and locks the sacristy and church. Shirley is also responsible for preparing the monstrance for Adoration. The monstrance is the vessel in which the Holy Eucharist is carried in processions. Adoration is held at 5 PM on Mondays and also after Thursday morning Mass.

Another duty of the sacristan is to change the altar cloths to coincide with the appropriate color of the day in the liturgical calendar. The color for each day corresponds to that day's main liturgical celebration. However, there are optional memorials (a special memorial for a specific saint or celebration) with a different color that might be chosen by the priest instead. There are four main colors: green, white, red, and purple, which also correspond with the priest’s robes. Green is worn for “ordinary” time, the time after Pentecost and before Advent. Red is worn during Lent, purple during Advent, and white is used for Christmas, Easter, and the 40 days between Easter and Pentecost.

Shirley is a very spiritual person who is devoted to her Catholic faith. She performed the same role of sacristan for six years when she lived in Colorado, and also at St. Patrick’s Church in Collinsville. While in Colorado, she received the call to become a Carmelite. She prayed about it. Her prayers were answered, and she professed her interest in becoming a Carmelite to the Director of the Carmelites and was elated when she was accepted. The Third Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel is an association of laypeople who, in response to a call from God, promise to live the Gospel in the spirit of the Carmelite Order and under its guidance. In Colorado, Shirley aspired to become a Carmelite by means of this promise. After many years of living this promise, she is a Carmelite of the third order. Perhaps the best-known modern Carmelite saint is St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the "Little Flower," who died in the Discalced Carmelite monastery of Lisieux, France in 1897. St. Thérèse of Lisieux is our parish’s patron saint.

Shirley’s dedication to the Lord and the Little Flower is quite evident when you view the stained-glass windows in our Parish Center’s Chapel. What a gifted artist she is! Shirley says, "It's all for the glory of God!" She follows the advice of St. Paul: "Whatever you do, whether in speech or in action, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Colossians 3:17). God bless you, Shirley, you are a true laborer for the Lord.