St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Feast day: Oct. 1
St. Thérèse was born in France to a holy Catholic family. Her parents became saints — Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin — and they raised five girls.
St. Thérèse and her four sisters all became religious sisters! She belonged to a religious order called the Carmelites.
St. Thérèse didn’t do anything big during her life. But, she tried to do little things out of love for God — like talking to sisters she didn’t get along with or eating foods she didn’t like.
St. Thérèse wrote an autobiography that has become famous. It is called “Story of a Soul.”
In art, she is often shown holding roses and a crucifix. Sometimes, St. Thérèse is called by her nickname, “The Little Flower,” because, during her life, she imagined herself as a little flower in God’s garden.
She has been named a doctor of the Catholic Church. A doctor of the church is not a medical doctor. It means that the person’s writings helped people understand God.
When St. Thérèse was on Earth, she said she would spend her time in Heaven “doing good upon earth.” For this reason, many people ask for St. Thérèse’s help.
You can celebrate her feast day by pressing flowers. To press flowers, pick flowers outside or purchase some at the store. Place your flower between two pieces of parchment paper in a book or notebook. Then, place the book under something heavy — like a stack of books. Two weeks later, you will have beautiful pressed flowers!
