Catholic Saints
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, born in 1873 in Alençon, France, was a 19th-century Carmelite nun, mystic, and Doctor of the Church. Known as "The Little Flower" for her "Little Way" of spiritual simplicity, she died in 1897. Her feast day is celebrated on October 1.
Her feast day is celebrated on October 1.
Doctor of the Church
Born in 1873 in France, Thérèse became a Carmelite nun and mystic of the "Little Way."
Thérèse Martin was born on January 2, 1873, in Alençon, France, the youngest of nine children in a devout Catholic family. Her parents, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, raised her with deep faith, though she lost her mother to breast cancer at age four, profoundly shaping her sensitive nature. After her sister Pauline entered the Carmelite convent, Thérèse felt called to follow, seeking permission to join at just 15 despite her youth.
Granted entry in 1888 after appealing to Pope Leo XIII, she took the name Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. Her early years in the Lisieux Carmel were marked by simplicity, obedience, and a growing interior life of trust in God.
Thérèse developed her "Little Way," a path to holiness through small, everyday acts of love and trust in God’s mercy, rather than grand gestures. Despite her cloistered life, she aspired to be a missionary, offering her prayers and sacrifices for priests and souls worldwide. Her autobiography, Story of a Soul, written at the request of her superiors, revealed her profound spirituality and childlike confidence in God.
Stricken with tuberculosis in 1896, Thérèse endured intense suffering with patience, seeing it as a means to unite with Christ. Her writings and example spread rapidly after her death, inspiring millions with their simplicity and depth.
Thérèse died on September 30, 1897, in Lisieux, France, at age 24, promising to spend her heaven "doing good on earth." Beatified in 1923 and canonized in 1925 by Pope Pius XI, she was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1997 by Pope John Paul II for her spiritual doctrine. Her relics are venerated in Lisieux and travel globally.
Known as the patroness of missionaries, florists, and those with tuberculosis, Thérèse’s "Little Way" remains a universal call to holiness. Her influence continues through her writings and the countless devotees who call her "The Little Flower."
Born in Alençon.
Born into a devout French family.
Joined the Lisieux Carmelites.
Began her religious life.
Diagnosed with tuberculosis.
Began her final suffering.
Completed her autobiography.
Shared her "Little Way."
Died in Lisieux.
Passed away and later canonized in 1925.
"My vocation is love; in the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be love."
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Quotes
"Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word."
"My vocation is love; in the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be love. Thus I shall be all things, and my dream will be fulfilled."
"Jesus does not demand great actions from us, but simply surrender and gratitude."
"I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies."
"When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens; I will spend my heaven doing good on earth."
"The good God does not need years to accomplish His work of love in a soul; one ray from His heart can, in an instant, make His flower bloom for eternity."