Roses from heaven will fall over the Shrine of St. Therese Lisieux, the Little Flower of Jesus, on Sunday during the 82nd annual Shower of Roses.

The event, held at the former Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 15 E. Garibaldi Ave., in the New Columbus section of Nesquehoning, has been well-attended over the decades.The festival restarted in 2012, four years after the Allentown Diocese closed Our Lady of Mount Carmel, folding it, along with Sacred Heart and Immaculate Conception churches, into a new church, St. Francis of Assisi.A smaller one was held on Oct. 3, 2011, at the grotto next to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, with Mass celebrated by the Rev. Father Francis Schoenauer, rector of the shrine.Sheree Strauss, director of the Shrine of St. Therese, said that the shower will include a full day of celebrations honoring St. Therese and the group is anticipating visitors from all over the tri-state area, as well as North Carolina and as far away as Germany.The day opens at 11 a.m. with homemade food and religious items available at the Madonna Hall and in the shrine.At 1 p.m. there will be a Mass in the shrine, celebrated by the Rev. Msgr. David L. James, and the crowning of the Rose Queen. This year's queen is Beatrice Petschauer and the rose princess is Grace Ann Williams.At 3 p.m., the devotees will process around the Little Flower development while reciting the rosary. A benediction will be held at 4 p.m., with the Shower of Roses taking place at 5 p.m., weather permitting.Strauss said the Rose Queen will change into Carmelite habit during the benediction to represent St. Therese during the rose drop. She will be standing on the stairs of the shrine as the roses fall down over the attendees.The roses represent the belief that when someone's prayer is answered by St. Therese, that person will smell the fragrance of roses, or find a rose in an unusual place. The belief is thought to have come from St. Therese's promise to send a shower of roses to earth as proof of God's existence. St. Therese was canonized in 1925.Strauss said that many who have caught a rose feel they received a blessing from the Little Flower of Jesus.In addition, entertainment will be provided and the grotto next to the church, which is on the National Register of Historical Places, will be open for prayers and reflections.Felicia Pilla, president of OLMC Inc., said the event wouldn't be possible without the many volunteers who devote days to the preparation of food and activities.Last year, over 70 volunteers made the 81st annual event a success.Volunteers are still needed. Anyone wishing to volunteer should call Pilla at 570-669-6666.For more information on the Shower of Roses, call Strauss at 570-669-6321, email

stthereseshrinelisieux@gmail.com, visit

www.shrineofsainttherese.com or check out the group's Facebook page at "Shrine of Saint Therese."During the remainder of the year, the shrine is open from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays for novena and benediction and at 9 a.m. on Saturdays for Mass.