Hundreds gathered for mass and veneration of the relics of Saint Thrse of Lisieux at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica on Wednesday for the first time in 26 years.

For many visitors, the return of these sacred relics represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect with the Carmelite nun known as the Little Flower, who was canonized as a saint after her death at just 24 years old.

Aylin Samoray remembers the last visit in 1999 vividly.

"In 1999, my mom woke me up at 4 am and said St. Therese's relics are coming. This is a once-in-a-lifetime; we gotta go. So we came to mass, and rose petals fell from the ceiling, and it was beautiful," Samoray said.

Now, 26 years later, Samoray brought her 13-year-old son Gabriel to experience the same spiritual moment. The teenage

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