PARISHIONERS from St Theresa's and St George's churches in Taunton went on a pilgrimage to France earlier this month.

They travelled to Alencon to see where St Theresa grew up with her sisters and her parents Saints Louis and Zelie Martin.

They then visited Taunton's twin town of Lisieux, where the family moved to after Zelie's death.

As well as taking in different sites, they spent time at the Carmel, where St Theresa lived as a Carmelite sister and where there is a shrine to her.

She entered the Carmel convent in 1882 at 15 years old until her death at in September 1897.

The group spent time in the Basilica of St Theresa, which was started in 1929 and consecrated in 1954.

On their final night in Lisieux they enjoyed a meal with the Lisieux twinning group members Chantel Pallee, chairman Patrick Buhot and his wife Francoise, Jean Yves Hauze, vice-chairman of the twinning with Taunton, and Denis Louarn, who has brought some of his students to Taunton to help with their English.

Doug Lowe, who was on the trip, said: "It was a wonderful night.

"We were treated like royalty and I can see why twinning has been going so long with the twinning charter with Lisieux signed in 1955.

"Everyone is hoping it will re-start soon."