Thérèse of Lisieux
Thérèse of Lisieux (2 January 1873 – 30 September 1897), religious name Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, was a French Discalced Carmelite who is widely venerated in modern times. She is popularly known in English as the "Little Flower of Jesus", or simply the "Little Flower", and in French as la petite Thérèse ("Little Therese").
Therese has been a highly influential model of sanctity for Catholics and for others because of the simplicity and practicality of her approach to the spiritual life. She is one of the most popular saints in the history of the church, although she was obscure during her lifetime. Pope Pius X called her "the greatest saint of modern times".
Therese felt an early call to religious life and, after overcoming various obstacles, in 1888, at age 15, she became a nun and joined two of her elder sisters in the cloistered Carmelite community of Lisieux in Normandy (another sister, Céline, also later joined the order). After nine years as a Carmelite nun, having fulfilled various offices such as sacristan and assistant to the novice mistress, in her last eighteen months in Carmel she fell into a night of faith, in which she is said to have felt Jesus was absent and been tormented by doubts that God existed. Therese died at the age of 24 from tuberculosis.
Patron saint of Missions and missionaries; France; Russian Catholics; those suffering from terminal illness or tuberculosis; florists and gardeners; orphaned children; those who are homeless; aviators
In the Martyrology
- September 30 Birth of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church
- October 1 Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Discalced Carmelite virgin of Lisieux and doctor of the Church