Roses from heaven will fall over the Shrine of St. Therese Lisieux, the Little Flower of Jesus, on Sunday during the 83rd annual Shower of Roses.

The event, held on the grounds of the Shrine of St. Therese of Lisieux, 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.This year's shower will include a full day of celebrations honoring St. Therese, and the group is anticipating visitors from all over the tri-state area to attend.The day opens at 11 a.m. with a spaghetti dinner in Madonna Hall. Tickets are available for purchase.At 1 p.m. there will be a Mass in the shrine, celebrated by the Rev. Msgr. Alfred Schlert, vicar general of the Allentown Diocese, and the crowning of the Rose Queen. Last year's queen was Beatrice Petschauer and the rose princess was 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.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.In addition, entertainment and ethnic foods will be provided outside Madonna Hall and the grotto next to the church, which is on the National Register of Historical Places, will be open for prayers and reflections.Volunteers are always needed to make the event a success. Anyone wishing to volunteer should call Sheree Strauss, director of the shrine, at 570-669-6321.For more information on the Shower of Roses call Straus, email

littleflowerassociation@gmail.com; visit

www.shrineofsainttherese.com or check out the group's Facebook page at "Shrine of Saint Therese."Leading up to the event, there will be solemn novena held at 7 p.m., Sept. 30, and Oct. 1 and 2. Following the novena on Sept. 30, there will be a blessing of the shrine's new gift shop.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.