Discover the story of Saint Therese of Lisieux, patron saint of the missions
Discover the story of Saint Therese of Lisieux, patron saint of the missions

Discover the story of Saint Therese of Lisieux, patron saint of the missions

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Who is Saint Therese of Lisieux?

Françoise Marie Thérèse, known as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux was a nun, born on 2 January 1873 in Alençon.

Born into a family of nine children, Thérèse lost four sisters in infancy. In addition, she was named after one of her sisters who died not even two months after her birth, little Melanie-Thérèse. Afterwards, little Thérèse also lost her mother at the age of four and a half. This tragedy marked her throughout her childhood. So Marie and Pauline, the two eldest children, decided to take care of their little sisters.

Thérèse's father moved into the house of Les Buissonnets with his family in 1877. It was a house a little out of town, where they lived in solitude.

St. Therese was educated at the boarding school of the Benedictine nuns of Lisieux, where she had to endure the difficulty of collective life, which she had not experienced before. The presence of Sister Céline comforted her.

In 1882, she began to suffer from malaise and headaches. The illness worsened over the next few months, prompting her family to make prayers to Our Lady of Victories. The illness was finally cured when Therese prayed to the Virgin Mary and saw her smile.

Five years later, at the end of a mass in St Peter's Cathedral, she received the revelation of the mission to save souls through prayer and sacrifice. This is how she discovered the power of prayer and her desire to enter Carmel. She then received the approval of her father and entered Carmel* at the age of 15.

Saint Therese enter into the Carmel of Lisieux in 1988

Her missions in Carmel



Saint Teresa entered Carmel on April 9, 1988. "I felt my heart beating so violently that it seemed impossible for me to go forward when they came to signal us to come to the conventual door; I went forward, however, wondering if I was not going to die from the force of my heartbeat..." she says.

A few days after she took the habit, her father suffered from a very serious brain disease. Therese bent over backwards in prayer and thus deepened her vocation to become a great saint.

In 1893, the saint was called to help Sister Agnes of Jesus in her missions, who had become prioress. In 1894, she began to write short plays, which were performed by the sisters on the occasion of great feasts and spiritual poems. Sadly, it was in this same year that she lost her father Louis Martin on 29 July.

The illness of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux: the cause of her death



St Teresa's illness had lasted for several years, but on the night of Good Friday 1896, she coughed up blood: a sign of tuberculosis*. However, a few days later, she sank into spiritual darkness.

Her state of health became increasingly worse. She was subsequently transferred to the monastery infirmary.

Therese was very excited about the idea of going to Heaven, even though she sometimes doubted its existence. As a result, she began to write down her Carmelite memories at the request of Mother Marie de Gonzague. She died on 30 September 1897, at the age of 24.

encens sainte therese

120 incense sticks of Saint Theresa and a prayer 9,90€

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Novena candle Saint Theresa 17,5 cm 4,90€

statue sainte therese

Statue of Saint Therese of Lisieux in resin 30cm 29€

Saint Therese, declared patron saint of the missions in 1927 following her canonisation

The canonisation of Teresa was carried out on 17 May 1925 by Pius XI* in St Peter's Basilica in Rome. He officially declared that little Therese could henceforth be called "Saint Therese of the Child Jesus". Since that day, many statues of Saint Teresa have been erected to honour her.

The day after Thérèse's canonization, a petition was sent to the Pope, asking that Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus be proclaimed Patroness of the Missions. This was done in 1927, again by Pius XI.

Here is the prayer of healing to Saint Therese of Lisieux (h2)

Therese of the Child Jesus,

Who bore your illness and many physical sufferings without ever complaining,

Give me your joy,

That which made you overcome pain for the love of Christ,

And perform this new miracle, you who did so much,

To give me back my lost health,

That I may, after thy example,

With all my breath restored,

Give thanks for a long time,

With your humility and serenity,

To this child Jesus who saved us.

Amen!"



FAQ

Who was Saint Therese of Lisieux?

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux was a nun, born on 2 January 1873 in Alençon. In 1927, she was proclaimed patroness of the missions by Pope Pius XI. Read more about Saint Therese

What illness did Saint Therese have?

Saint Therese had tuberculosis. She died on 30 September 1897, aged 24. Read more about Saint Therese's illness

How to pray to Saint Theresa?

The prayer for healing of Saint Teresa begins as follows: "Therese of the Child Jesus,

Who bore your illness and many physical sufferings without ever complaining..." Read more about St. Therese's prayer for healing

Index:

Pius XI: "259ᵉ bishop of Rome, and pope of the Catholic Church" (source: Wikipedia)

Carmel: "Catholic religious order whose father is the prophet Elijah" (source: Wikipedia)

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