Saint Therese of Lisieux, often referred to as the “Little Flower,” was born as the youngest of nine children to Louis and Zélie Martin, devout parents who had once aspired to monastic lives themselves. Raised in an environment steeped in faith, Therese felt a call to religious life from an early age.

Sadly, Therese experienced profound grief when she lost her mother to breast cancer at just four and a half. Her elder sister, Pauline, stepped into the role of mother, only to leave Therese again when she joined the Carmelite convent five years later. During a severe illness in her youth, Therese saw a vision of the Virgin Mary, which miraculously resulted in her recovery.

Educated by the Benedictines, a burning desire to serve God led a fifteen-year-old Therese to seek entry into the Carmelite Convent. When initially denied, she embarked on a pilgrimage to Rome with her supportive father to appeal directly to Pope Leo XIII. The Pope deferred to the convent’s superior, who eventually allowed the fervent young girl to join, an exceptional occurrence at such a young age.

In 1896, a new chapter opened for Therese when she was chosen to be a missionary in Hanoi, Vietnam. However, a divine revelation told her that she wouldn’t be on Earth for much longer. Indeed, she contracted tuberculosis shortly thereafter. Despite her intense suffering, Therese displayed exemplary resilience and cheerfulness. She believed her true mission would begin after her earthly life, where she’d aid people from heaven. She passed away on September 30, 1897, aged just 24.

St. Therese’s autobiography, detailing her journey of faith, was posthumously published. Its profound insights into living a life of simplicity and devotion has resonated with countless readers. Her remarkable sanctity and miracles attributed to her led to the initiation of her canonization process in 1914. Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church in 1997.

Known for her love for the missions, St. Therese of Lisieux is celebrated as one of its patron saints, even though she never ventured to foreign lands. Apart from missionaries, aviators and florists also revere her as their patron saint.

Editorial credit: Pack-Shot / Shutterstock.com
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17 COMMENTS

  1. I always pray the 24 glory be to St THERESA of the CHILD JESUS and ask for special favours. What do I have to do to reaaly get the answers? But no matter What I will keep on praying and will never loose HOPE

    • She does hear and she does pray. Keep faith. She has sent me roses and prayed for me many times. She is sweet and compassionate….a good friend.

      Novena to Saint Therese of the Little Flower
      Saint Therese, the Little
      Flower, please pick me
      a rose from the heavenly
      garden and send it to
      me with a message of love.
      Ask God to grant me the
      favor I thee implore and
      tell Him I will love
      Him each day more and more.

      The above prayer, plus 5 Our Father’s, 5 Hail Mary’s and 5 Glory Be’s must be said on 5 successive days, before 11 a.m. On the 5th day, the 5th set of prayers having been completed, offer one more set – 5 Our Father’s, 5 Hail Mary’s and 5 Glory Be’s.)

    • To get the answers you want you have to totally accept God’s will for your life. It may not be the answers you want but you have to accept it. When one door closes another one opens.
      Therese does work but only for the will of God.
      Remember St. Monica prayed over 17 years for favors from God.

      Don’t give up
      May St.Therese and God bless you!

    • Please remember that St Therese is always there around you if you just look for little signs. She has granted me many petitions and she found me instead of me finding her.

  2. St. Teresa,
    Thank you for loving me and praying for me. You have been such a good friend. I love and adore your friendship. Please pray the request I bestowed upon you last week. Please pray for my husband and I’s marriage and our little family.
    I love you my dear friend. Thank you so much!

  4. I need huge prayers my oldest grandaughter turn her back on me and her uncle and cousin after have her. 13 years in vistitation to hear her step mom and dads lyes. I pray she comes back to us and that her mom and step dad changes there mind and let’s her come and that my oldest son contacts me and wants family peace. I want this so bad for our family

  5. Her one dream was the work she would do after her death, helping those on earth. “I will return,” she said. “My heaven will be spent on earth.” Besides working as an intercessor in prayer, have there been any signs of her work here on earth, or any appearances of her? (I am not sure if saints can appear as apparitions, as Our Lady does.)

  6. St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us, for my special intentions and our Holy Father’s intentions. Mary help of christians, pray for us.

  10. Thank you for sharing the lives of our saints. I love waking up in the mornings to eagerly open my e-mail to see which saint I will be reading about. I can sympathize with St. Therese about pain. I to live a life of pain 24 hours a day. I to would have ended my life had it not been for my strong faith. I continue to pray to God and say several rosaries a day and pray to our saints to intercede for all of us that are suffering both physically and mentally. Never give up, as God has a plan for each of us. He also has his own calendar. After reading some of the stories about how our saints died, I don’t have it that bad. God Bless.

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