St. Thérèse of Lisieux (2^nd January 1873 – 30^th September 1897) was a French Catholic Discalced Carmelite nun who is widely venerated in modern times. She is popularly known as “The Little Flower of Jesus” or simply “The Little Flower”.

Thérèse has been a highly influential model of sanctity for Catholics and for others because of the simplicity and practicality of her approach to the spiritual life. Together with Francis of Assisi, she is one of the most popular saints in the history of the church. Pope Pius X called her "the greatest saint of modern times".

Thérèse felt an early call to religious life, and overcoming various obstacles, in 1888 at the early age of 15, she became a nun and joined two of her older sisters in the cloistered Carmelite community of Lisieux, (yet another sister, Céline, also later joined the order). After nine years as a Carmelite religious, having fulfilled various offices such as sacristan and assistant to the novice mistress, Thérèse died at the age of 24, from tuberculosis.

Her feast day was 3 October from 1927 until it was moved in 1969 to 1 October. Thérèse is well known throughout the world, with the Basilica of Lisieux being the second most popular place of pilgrimage in France after Lourdes.

To learn more about our Patron Saint Therese on the Official page "Society of the Little Flower" -
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Famous Quotes from St. Thérèse:

Charity

"True charity consists in bearing all our neighbour’s defects – not being surprised at their weakness, but edified at their smallest virtues."

"Our Lord poured in the light of truth, which shines far brighter than the shadowy light of earthly pleasures. I would not exchange the ten minutes spent upon my act of charity for a thousand years of such worldly delights"

Life & Happiness

"If I did not simply live from one moment to another, it would be impossible for me to be patient; but I only look at the present, I forget the past, and I take good care not to forestall the future."

"True happiness on earth consists in being forgotten and in remaining completely ignorant of created things. I understood that all we accomplish, however brilliant, is worth nothing without love." 

"I learned from experience that joy does not reside in the things about us, but in the very depths of the soul, that one can have it in the gloom of a dungeon as well as in the palace of a king."

Roses

"When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens, I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth."

"The splendour of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness"

"If every flower wanted to be a rose, nature would lose her springtime beauty."

Love

"Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love." 

"Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love" 

"A word or a smile is often enough to put fresh life in a despondent soul."

"True love feeds on sacrifice and becomes more pure and strong the more our natural satisfaction is denied."

Truth

"Only God can see what is in the bottom of our hearts; we are half-blind."

"I can nourish myself on nothing but truth"