St Therese of Lisieux

St Therese, widely known as the Little Flower, was born on 2nd January, 1873 in France. When only four-and-half years old, Therese lost her mother, and subsequently her sisters all joined religious orders. From a very young age, Therese developed the habit of personal prayer and sacrifices. She entered the Carmelite convent of Lisieux in 1988 at the age of only 15 years. She took hear vows in the year 1890.

Therese suffered from tuberculosis in her last two years. Even in the midst of excruciating pain, she remained cheerful and smiling. She kept on saying, "I will return; my heaven will be spent on earth" until she died on September 30, 1897 aged 24 years.

The Little Flower was canonized in the year 1925.

St Therese frequently promised to pray for all missions. She is one of the patron saints of missions, and the Church remembers her on World Mission Sunday every year.

On the occasion of the World Mission Sunday on October 19, 1997, Pope John Paul II proclaimed St Therese as a Doctor of the Church at a function in Rome to commemorate the centenary of her demise. This is an honour that the church confers upon a person who has led a notably holy life and helped the propagation of Christian values and thoughts.

St Therese is the patron of the Cherupushpam Mission League (CML), an organization promoting missionary zeal in children, spread all over Kerala.

Society of the Little Flower >> www.littleflower.org

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