St Theresa of the Child jesus

The story of our patron saint

What matters in life is not great deeds, but great love.

~ St Theresa of Lisieux

Saint Theresa of Lisieux was born on 2 January 1873. She 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 elder sisters in the cloistered Carmelite community of Lisieux, Normandy. For nine years she lived the ordinary life of a Carmelite Sister combining prayer, work and recreation.

The simplicity and profundity of Theresa’s approach to God and the things of the sprit, which she called her little way, has influenced millions of people all over the world.

She loved flowers and saw herself as the “little flower of Jesus”, who gave glory to God by just being her beautiful little self among all the other flowers in God’s garden. Because of this beautiful analogy, the title “little flower” remained with St Theresa.

Theresa died of tuberculosis on 30 September 1897 at just 24 years of age. Her last words, to the assembled sisters, before she died were an expression of her Faith and Love of God; she looked at her crucifix and said “I am not dying, I am entering eternal life”. Her feast day is celebrated on 1 October.

Words of wisdom from our patron saint

Quotes from St Theresa of the child jesus

On Charity
St Theresa of the Child Jesus

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

On happiness
St Theresa of the Child Jesus

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.

On surrender
St Theresa of the Child Jesus

Jesus has chosen to show me the only way which leads to the Divine Furnace of love; it is the way of childlike self-surrender, the way of a child who sleeps, afraid of nothing, in its father’s arms.

On holiness
St Theresa of the Child Jesus

Holiness consists simply in doing God’s will, and being just what God wants us to be.

On love
St Theresa of the Child Jesus

 I understood that all we accomplish, however brilliant, is worth nothing without love.

On sacrifice
St Theresa of the Child Jesus

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.

On truth
St Theresa of the Child Jesus

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.