St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897) was born in France, the youngest of nine children. Her mother died when she was four. Thérèse was described as being sensitive and precocious as a child.
 
Thérèse experienced a transformative conversion early on when she saw a vision of Mary, Mother of God. She had fallen ill, and the doctors of her time were unable to diagnose or treat her. She experienced fevers, convulsions, and fearful visions. This lasted until, turning her face to the statue of the Blessed Mother near her bedside, she asked Mary to take pity on her. According to her writings, Thérèse said that she experienced a beautiful vision of Mary. In this vision, when Mary smiled upon her, all her pain and illness disappeared. This experience, The Healing of Our Lady of the Smile, contributed to setting Thérèse’s heart on pursuing religious life.
 
When Thérèse was 15, she entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux, France. She took the name Sister Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face and began a life of prayer and intimacy with God. Despite her struggles with depression, she always put her best foot forward. She tragically died of tuberculosis at age 24 but, before her death, she said “My mission — to make God loved — will begin after my death. I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses.” Now, she is fondly known as Thérèse the Little Flower of Jesus and roses have become a symbol of her intercession.
 
During her life, Thérèse wrote several essays cataloguing her pursuit of holiness that were later published under the title “Story of a Soul.” These writings earned her the privilege of being the youngest person to ever be designated a Doctor of the Church and continue to be treasured by Catholics world-wide! St. Thérèse, pray for us!