St Therese of Lisieux

St Therese of Lisieux

“My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice, these are my invincible arms; 
they can move hearts far better than words, I know it by experience."

St Therese of Lisieux

“My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice, these are my invincible arms; 
they can move hearts far better than words, I know it by experience."

A much loved Saint

Towards the end of the 19th century, France produced one of its greatest glories, a Carmelite who, within the space of a few short years was to take the world by storm. Thérèse of Lisieux, or Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face as she was known in Carmel, is a truly remarkable saint in the history of the church. Shortly after her death there was an abundance of miracles and answers to prayer, thus fulfilling her promise to “let fall a shower of roses”. Pope Benedict XV declared St Thérèse the “Greatest saint of modern times” and she has become the object of many studies, much research and profound veneration. St Thérèse lived nine of her twenty-four years in the Carmel of Lisieux in the utmost simplicity, surrendering all to God in love.

A much loved Saint

Towards the end of the 19th century, France produced one of its greatest glories, a Carmelite who, within the space of a few short years was to take the world by storm. Thérèse of Lisieux, or Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face as she was known in Carmel, is a truly remarkable saint in the history of the church. Shortly after her death there was an abundance of miracles and answers to prayer, thus fulfilling her promise to “let fall a shower of roses”. Pope Benedict XV declared St Thérèse the “Greatest saint of modern times” and she has become the object of many studies, much research and profound veneration. St Thérèse lived nine of her twenty-four years in the Carmel of Lisieux in the utmost simplicity, surrendering all to God in love.
“Everything is a grace, everything is the direct effect of our Father's love - difficulties, contradictions, humiliations, all the soul's miseries, her burdens, her needs - everything, because through them, she learns humility, realizes her weakness. Everything is a grace because everything is God's gift. Whatever be the character of life or its unexpected events - to the heart that loves, all is well."

“Charity gave me the key to my vocation. I understood that the Church being a body composed of different members, the most essential, the most noble of all the organs would not be wanting to her; I understood that the Church has a heart and that this heart is burning with love; that it is love alone which makes the members work, that if love were to die away apostles would no longer preach the Gospel, martyrs would refuse to shed their blood. I understood that love comprises all vocations that love is everything, that it embraces all times and all places because it is eternal!”

The Little Way

St Thérèse’s spirituality was rooted in the Gospels which she carried next to her heart. As a result of her autobiography The Story of a Soul, her hidden and seemingly insignificant life has opened up the Gospel of God’s love and mercy to countless grateful men and women. Nothing was too small or too ordinary to give to God, for him to accomplish extraordinary things in and through her. St Thérèse was deeply nourished by the writings of St John of the Cross and in her short life she wholeheartedly lived his “all or nothing”. Part of her gift to us is that she so embodied his teaching that her spirituality becomes a window into his.

St Thérèse died in 1897, was beatified in 1923, canonised in 1925 and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II in 1997, the Centenary year of her death.  Her feast day is 1st October.


“For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy; finally it is something great, supernatural, 
which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus.”

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