San Antonio’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower is one of only 80 basilicas in the United States of America. Built during the Great Depression and named for Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, you can’t miss the bright yellow spires of the Basilica from Interstate 10 when leaving or entering downtown.

Located on the corner of Culebra at Zarzamora, the Roman Catholic church rises majestically above the West Side of San Antonio. Inside, visitors will feel a sense of awe and wonder. The beautiful voices of the 11 a.m. Sunday Mass contribute to the sacred atmosphere.

St. Thérèse believed that we should do everything in life out of our love for God and our neighbors without expecting any reward or recognition in return. “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love,” she said.

Besides doing small things with great love, Saint Thérèse also believed that we should learn to appreciate small things. “The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness,” she wrote in “Story of a Soul,” her autobiography.

One of the outreach programs of the Basilica is called the Power of Flowers: “Since 2003 the Basilica’s community outreach efforts have focused on exposing children to the opportunity to appreciate the value of nature and grow in the awareness of how they can make a difference in their school and home environment.” Contact the parish office at (210) 735-9126 to learn how you may get involved.

Daily Masses at the Basilica are at noon at 5:30 p.m. Masses on Saturday are at 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. (Vigil). Sunday Masses are at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m. (Spanish), 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. (Spanish).

Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!