Hi, Josh —

Hope you are enjoying the Catechism I sent you.

I think the saint your Catholic friend is referring to is Saint Therese of Lisieux, a Doctor of the Church and the Novena Rose Prayer devotion that developed from those seeking her help. Obviously, all saints in Heaven, are "In Christ" so when they ask St. Therese for help, the Lord is glorified and happy when He sees his heavenly brothers and sisters being called upon for help.
No saint is doing this themselves, rather their reply to any prayer is, in Christ Jesus, Our Lord.

I found these pages which should help you understand (how this rose thing works):

• Saints of Carmel: Therese of Lisieux
• Motherly Loving

This posted thread from Catholic Answers should help:

• How seriously to take a rose from St. Therese
  

It had some very good points, especially these two:

We don't control God or the saints, nor can we insist that, if they give us signs, those signs must be unambiguous. They want us to work out our own vocations and salvations. Yes, they may communicate things to us, but they are not obliged to do so in the ways we want.

and

I agree that you cannot or should not base this decision on this one thing.
You may reflect back on the whole thing five years down the road and realize that
St. Thérèse did answer your prayer, but don't allow this to circumvent your vocational discernment. Discernment is a process, not a singular definitive moment (though singular moments can be part of the process and provide us with clarity). We don't want our faith to become superstition.

I recommend you read the whole dialogue to the end of the page.

Your Catholic friend said:
She will provide you with "Yes" and "No" answers via a red or white rose.

I couldn't find any thing that mentioned receiving a red or white rose, though it may be part of the devotion.

The most important thing to remember is any [personal or private] [novena or devotion] has nothing to do with the dogma, doctrines or teachings of the Church.

Any [personal or private] [novena or devotion] address pious devotions, allowed by the Church, that are non-obligatory on all Catholic Christians.

If you have any questions on the Catechism don't hesitate to ask us. We have had several
non-Catholic Christians who have participated in the FREE Catechism of the Catholic Church Program for Protestants (CCCFPP) and after reading the Catechism, have come back to the site to ask clarifying questions on certain points of doctrine.

Hope this helps,

and take care!

Mike

Josh —

Here is some more information on this practice of seeking roses from St. Therese.

It might be a misunderstanding or distortion of this statement of St. Therese:

"After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth. I will raise up a mighty host of little saints. My mission is to make God loved..."

Her official site says this:

"Many miracles and actions of St. Therese do not involve roses. More often than not, marvelous things happen in people's lives as they ask for her heavenly intercession. The miracles, healings and inner peace come from the trust one places in God, not from any manifestation of roses. St. Therese lived in the dark night of the senses and spirit, with little consolation. Thus, the friends and followers of St. Therese expect no consolation of sighted roses that their prayers are being answered. Her "little way" is about child-like trust and gentle love. She is the great apostle of faith in God's love, not simple reliance on physical signs. Jesus warned us, and Therese experienced that the desire for signs is a sign of weak faith. It is always important to remember that St. Therese did not experience extra-ordinary phenomena in her life. Her faith was refined and strengthened by God."

• Frequently Asked Questions

Eric