ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS October 1st

October 1st youtube.com/shorts/YCBgX55bpS0
ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS, CARMELITE, VIRGIN DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, PATRON OF THE MISSIONS
saintmichaelusa.org/1001-st-th

St Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897) was a French Catholic who became a Carmelite nun. However, this early childhood idyll was broken by the early death of her Mother (from breast cancer). Aged only four years old, she felt the pain of separation and instinctively turned to the Virgin Mary for comfort and reassurance. The next couple of years of St Therese’s’ life was a period of inner turmoil. She was unhappy at school, where her natural precociousness and piety made other school children jealous. Eventually, her father agreed for Therese to return home and be taught by her elder sister, Celine. She enjoyed being taught at home; however, after a while, her eldest sister decided to leave home and enter the local Carmel Convent at Lisieux. This made Therese feel like she had lost her second mother. Shortly afterwards Therese experienced a painful illness, in which she suffered delusions. Therese felt completely healed after her sister’s placed a statue of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the bed. Therese felt her health and mental state returned to normal very quickly. St Therese died tragically early at the age of 24 from tuberculosis. However after her death, the writings became avidly read by, first other nuns, and then the wider Catholic community. St Therese was declared one of the only three female Doctors of the Catholic Church (there are 33 doctors of the church in total). Thus after her death, she was able to achieve her intuitive feeling that she would be able to do something great and help save souls. St Therese was canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925, only 26 years after her death.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873–1897), also called “The Little Flower of Jesus”, is one of the most beloved Catholic saints.