
The first enveloped contained a booklet: The Little Flower of Lisieux. The booklet tells that she prayed for missionaries and that she promised to spend her heaven doing good things for the earth. Could she possibly bring about the conversion of the Inuit? The second envelope contained a bit of soil, along with this note: “Soil taken from under the first coffin of the Little Flower of Lisieux. With this she performs miracles.” Both Oblates spent the evening praying to the nun who wasn’t yet canonized. Next day when one of them was playing an organ when a group of the Inuit approached him and listened to his performance. The other Oblate came from behind and dropped the soil form the grave of Therese in the hair.
Following Sunday, at the sound of the bell, the Inuit arrived. They said “We knew that you were speaking the truth, but we didn’t want to listen. Right now, our sins frighten us. Could you remove them?” Father Turquetil answered: “Yes. Come in and I’ll explain it to you.” His sermon was on Baptism. Then he turned his thoughts to the Little Flower: “Therese, you made this possible… keep on inspiring them, and guide them towards Baptism.” That night, one of th elders, came to the Father: “We are three who want to be baptized, with our wives and children.” “Fine,” answered the Oblate, “but first I must instruct you. This could take time. And you will be leaving soon to hunt” “We will not be hunting, we’ll stay here to be instructed and baptized.” answered the man. The Oblate asked: “How will you nourish yourselves?” The answer was: “It’s very simple, the one you call Our Father, he loves us… he will help us, we will not die of hunger and we will be baptized” They then agreed that the catechumenate would begin on the following day, for two hours each day.
For the next eight and a half months, all of them persevered faithfully. On July 2, 1917, this date, Father Turquetil had the joy of baptizing his first Inuits. It was a grand day for him and for the Oblate missions of the Far North. Saint Theresa had saved themission.
Bishop Charlebois was so impressed with the development that he sent a request to Rome, signed by 226 missionary bishops from all over the world, asking for the grace to declare Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus patroness of all the missions in the world. In 1927, Pope Pius XI responded favorably to this request. Now the Catholic Church has got two patron for her missions: St Francis Xavier who spend his life as a missionary and a Carmelite nun who died in her little convent in France but who has been very busy now interceding and supporting missionaries around the world.