Discovery Astronaut took St. Therese relic into space

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Wow!
The Curia of the Order of Discalced Carmelite announced Saturday that Col. Ron Garan, an astronaut aboard the space shuttle Discovery during its STS-124 mission (May 31-June 14), took with him a relic of St. Therese of Lisieux. Seeking the prayers of nuns at the Carmel of the Holy Trinity (New Caney, TX) before the flight, he offered to bring into space a small item from the community. Mindful that the Little Flower had said ‘I would want to preach the Gospel on all five continents simultaneously and even to the most remote isles,’ the community entrusted a relic to the astronaut.
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Full story and additional links here.
 
Oh, that is just so cool. Don’t you know St. Therese would love the drama of it as well as the religious significance?
 
Great story, rpp. Here’s a reminder of another similar story:

Comradeship and Communion With Christ

Just over a week into the mission, one of us realized it was Sunday again, two weeks after Easter. Our shifts overlapped for a few hours, so during one orbital night Sid, Kevin and I gathered on the flight deck for a short Communion service.

Kevin, a eucharistic minister, carried the Blessed Sacrament with him, contained within a simple golden pyx. The three of us shared our amazement at experiencing the beauty of creation, and thanked God for good companions and the success achieved so far. Then Kevin shared the Body of Christ with Sid and me, and we floated weightless on the flight deck, grateful for this moment of comradeship and communion with Christ.

Our silent reflection was interrupted by a sudden burst of dazzling white light. The sun had risen (as it did 16 times each day) just as we finished Communion, and now its pure radiance streamed through Endeavour’s cockpit windows and bathed us in its warmth. To me, this was a beautiful sign, God’s gentle touch confirming our union with him.

I rolled away from my crewmates, unable to stem the tears evoked by that singular sunrise. My gaze turned to the overhead windows and the Pacific Ocean, the dawn lighting its surface in a rich, limitless blue.

I called out to Kevin and Sid, “Look at that ocean—what an incredible color!” They both turned and drank in hues unmatched by the palette of any human artist. After a moment, Kevin said simply, “It’s the blue of the Virgin’s veil, Tom.” He was right. There were no other words for that vision out the window.
 
Thank you Luke65, that was also a wonderful article. It is good to know that we have astronauts likes these. 🙂
 
What a beauitful thing. Go team! God bless you and Mary keep you.

Peace,

Gail
 
So is this astronaut, Col. Ron Garan, a practicing Catholic?
 
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