© Aris Dervis 2003

St. Therese of Liseux, the Little Flower

Feast day October 1

At the age of 14 Therese Martin decided she wanted to be a Carmelite nun. Because of her youth, none of the local church dignitaries would allow her to join the cloister. Determined to let nothing stand in her way, she and her father pilgrimaged to Rome to petition the Pope. She was welcomed to the convent and spent the next ten years there, until her death in 1897 at the age of twenty-four. Known for her "vocation of love", the Little Flower is often pictured as a simple childlike spirit. One need only read her autobiography; Story of a Soul to know that she was far more impassioned and militant than her nickname belies. She is the patron of florists and has promised to send a flower, most frequently a rose, to those who petition her. On the topic of prayer, she writes, "It's a terrible thing to admit, but saying the rosary takes it out of me more than any hair-shirt would; I do say it so badly!" Refreshing to hear a saint complain, isn't it?

St. Therese is available as 8x10 framed print, candle, T-shirt and greeting card.