CHARLOTTE — The Human Resources Office in the Diocese of Charlotte boasts two Little Flower fans who are planting their own garden for the Kingdom.
“We are all different flowers. We are not all roses. We can be daisies or lilies or any type, but if you put all those flowers together, you can make a bouquet,” said recruiter and human resource generalist Andrea Miranda. “And, with a little bit more effort, we can make a full garden for the glory of God.”
In honor of St. Thérèse de Lisieux’ Jan. 2 birthday in this 100th anniversary year of her canonization, devotees Adrienne Spann and Miranda shared how the saint known as the Little Flower guided them to the diocese to help spread her philosophy with simple acts of love.
Little Flower emerges
Miranda, a cradle Catholic raised in El Salvador, understood the power of the saints, as her Salesian family had a deep devotion to Saint John Bosco. She attended Catholic schools and a Catholic university, all the while deeply rooted in her faith.
In her youth, the Little Flower tried to bloom in Miranda’s path. Her mother gave her the autobiography of St. Thérèse, but it sat unread and eventually was lost. A priest instructed her to pray for the saint's intercession, but Miranda did not heed that advice.
Years later, in 2023, Miranda, pregnant and unemployed, was in between North Carolina and El Salvador. She and her husband wondered if they should move back to her hometown.
Miranda visited her spiritual director in El Salvador, who asked, “Where will you be closer to God?”
Of course it was there, with her church and family, she thought.
“Pray the Sacred Heart of Jesus Novena for guidance,” he instructed.
That day, Miranda’s husband found “The Autobiography of Thérèse de Lisieux” from Miranda’s childhood. She started reading and praying the novena.
When they traveled back to North Carolina, job hunting and being pregnant were a challenge. She worked part-time at her church, St. Gabriel, in childcare, until her boss alerted her to the human resources opening.
Interviewing for a job with God
When Miranda arrived at the Pastoral Center, a landscaped circle full of budded roses greeted her, and she felt overwhelmed by the presence of St. Thérèse.
During the interview Miranda felt a sense of belonging, and at the end when she disclosed she was four months pregnant and braced herself for impact, relief ran through her.
“They hugged me and congratulated me; it felt so good,” recalled Miranda. “I was vulnerable, but they were genuinely very happy for me.”
As she toured the pastoral center and saw all the members of clergy, the chapel with daily mass, and the sacred art on the walls, the words of her spiritual director rang in her ear, “Where will you be closer to God?” And for the first time she thought it could be here in the United States.
A few days later, a grocery store cashier gave her two single roses – the traditional sign that St. Thérèse is answering a prayer. A couple of days later, she received a job offer, and by her first day in April, the roses in the parking lot were in bloom.
“And I thought, she is so beautiful. It was like, she is here,” Miranda said.
Working hard for the kingdom
Working in the pastoral center, Miranda continues to feel the presence of the Little Flower. She even finds time to stop and smell the roses.
“I speak to the gardener, Donnie, pretty often when he comes and tends to the flowers. We all need a gardener, and by gardener, I mean a spiritual director,” she said. And she has found two, one a priest at the pastoral center.
When the HR staff cleaned out a vacant office, a large image of St. Thérèse sat amongst the office supplies left behind. Miranda was drawn to the picture and asked if she could display it in her office.
Staff contacted the retired employee, who purchased the picture in France during a pilgrimage.
“I left it there on purpose; somebody is waiting there for her,” the employee said.
Now, that picture hangs on Miranda’s wall, a constant reminder to her to love in every way.
Later, Miranda peeked her head into the office of newly hired Human Resources administrator Adrienne Spann’s to discover the space decked out with St. Thérèse stickers, dolls, and pictures.
“Are you devoted to St. Thérèse, too?” Miranda asked.
Spann grew up as a flower child, reading her favorite book, “Olivia and Her Little Way,” picking flowers, praying novenas, and making dolls resembling St. Thérèse. In college, she lived in the Little Flower Household dormitory, spending her free time praying and attending church at St. Ann.
“One of my favorite quotes from her is, ‘I will spend my time in heaven doing good on Earth,’ so she is definitely looking over me,” said Spann, looking at her clipboard where the saint smiles over her. “She is kind of everywhere, at every church, and even here.”
Miranda and Spann became instant friends. They plan on living out the philosophy of their favorite saint by showing love in everything they do.
“We are all called to be saints, and it's not impossible, whatever your vocation,” said Miranda. “St. Thérèse is the patron saint of missionaries, yet she never traveled, but she was constantly praying and making sacrifices. The smallest actions made with love are going to capture souls. We just need to put fear aside and be humble, love with His love, and be kind. We are not just called to be a flower; let’s be a bouquet of flowers, let’s be a garden.”
-Lisa M. Geraci