Saint Therese of Lisieux:

Mother and father of St. Therese
to be declared blessed in 2008

July 4, 2008: Cardinal Saraiva Martins will announce the date and place of the ceremony for the beatification of Louis and Zelie Martin when he presides at the ceremonies at Alencon and Lisieux on July 12 and 13 in honor of the 150th anniversary of their marriage in 1858.  For the story at Zenit.org, click here.

July 3, 2008:  Pope Benedict XVI certified the cure of the baby Pietro Schillero as the miracle necessary for their beatification.  For the news story at Zenit.org, click here.

• A July 3, 2008 communique from the diocese of Seez (written in French) states that on July 12 or 13 Cardinal Saraiva Martins, presiding at the ceremonies at Alencon and Lisieux for the 150th anniversary of the marriage of the parents of St. Therese, will announce the date and place of their beatification ceremony.
  

• July 12 and 13, 2008 - celebrations at Alencon and Lisieux of the 150th anniversary of the marriage of Zelie Guerin and Louis Martin (from the Web page of the Discalced Carmelites).

• On May 27, 2008, the bodies of the Venerable Zelie and Louis Martin were exhumed from their graves near the basilica at Lisieux.  They will be reburied in the crypt of the basilica in September.  For the Catholic News Story published June 8, please click here.
  
• In an interview published on Wednesday, January 8, 2008, in the daily Italian edition of L'Osservatore Romano, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints, announced that Louis Martin and Zelie Guerin, the parents of St. Therese, will be beatified in 2008.  For a short English story about this, please click here.  
  
• For more about St. Therese's parents and their cause, please click here.

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Saint Therese of the Child Jesus of the Holy Face
*icon courtesy of William Hart McNichols

Welcome!

     St. Therese of Lisieux, born Therese Martin, was a young French girl, passionately in love with Jesus Christ, who became a Discalced Carmelite nun at age fifteen and died of tuberculosis at age twenty-four in a monastery in Lisieux, France.

     Therese experienced extraordinary breakthroughs in what is possible in a human being's relationship with God and with other humans. Since her death, she has fascinated countless people. Her memoir, "Story of a Soul," became the religious bestseller of the 20th century. Countless miracles have been attributed to her intercession. She was canonized in 1925 and, in 1997, named a Doctor of the Church. She is often called the "Little Flower."

     For years I have been speaking about St. Therese, and now I hope to serve those who meet her in cyberspace. This Web site is a portal to Therese's writings and the best writings about her. I will add to its substance in the future. Whether you know Therese well or are just meeting her, I pray that this meeting in cyberspace will deepen your encounter with her and with the Merciful Love of the God whose praises she sings.

     I am grateful to the Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites for permission to quote from their authoritative translation of Therese's writings.

"My God, allow our sister to go on making You loved."

Maureen O'Riordan
Philadelphia, Pa.
USA

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See below in four parts the video "Therese de Lisieux: A Leap to Grandeur," directed by Fabrice Maze. The film consists of images of Therese and the persons, places, and objects she knew.