St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Born: January 2, 1873

Died: September 30, 1897

Feast day: October 1

Patron saint of: florists

St. Thérèse of Lisieux of the Child Jesus, also known as the Little Flower, was born in Alençon, France in 1873. She is one of the Catholic Church’s most beloved and popular saints and claims Dorothy Day, Edith Piaf, numerous popes, and other world leaders among her devotees. St. John Paul II declared her to be a doctor of the church in 1997 for her unique approach to Catholic spirituality. A basilica built in her honor is the second most visited pilgrimage site in France. St. Thérèse of Lisieux was only 15 years old when she entered the Carmelite convent, 22 when she wrote her autobiography, and just 24 when she tragically died of tuberculosis. Although Story of a Soul is considered a great theological masterpiece, it is also just the diary of a young girl struggling with many of the same issues that trouble adolescents today, such as deciding what path to follow, encountering bullies, and experiencing suffering for the first time.

–Mary Anne McElroy