Early Life & Family
Born in 1873, St. Thérèse spent her childhood in this French country town, which later became part of her famous religious title.
What is Lisieux?
St. Thérèse entered this strict, cloistered religious order, known for its devotion to contemplative prayer and poverty.
What are the Discalced Carmelites?
St. Thérèse is best known for this spiritual philosophy, which focuses on doing small, everyday actions with great love rather than seeking heroic deeds.
What is the Little Way?
This is the English title of St. Thérèse’s highly influential autobiography, published posthumously from her personal notebooks.
What is Story of a Soul?
St. Thérèse died in 1897 at this remarkably young age.
What is 24?
In her autobiography, Story of a Soul, she wrote, "My vocation, at last, I have found it... My vocation is ____."
What is love?
In 2015, Louis and Marie-Azélie (Zélie) Martin made history by becoming the first married couple to be canonized together; they are St. Thérèse’s parents.
Who are Louis and Zélie Martin?
Because she was only 15, Thérèse boldly petitioned this Pope during a pilgrimage to Rome to get permission to enter the convent early.
Who is Pope Leo XIII?
St. Thérèse famously promised to spend her heaven doing good on earth, stating that she would let fall a shower of these flowers.
What are roses?
St. Thérèse wrote her memoirs under obedience to this authority figure in the convent, who also happened to be her sister Pauline.
Who is the Prioress (or Mother Superior)?
This painful bacterial lung disease, which caused her to cough up blood, was the ultimate cause of St. Thérèse's death.
What is tuberculosis?
Known as the Little Flower, she famously promised, "After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my heaven ____."
What is doing good upon earth?
St. Thérèse was the youngest of this many Martin sisters, all of whom entered religious life.
What is five?
Upon taking her vows, St. Thérèse chose a religious name that honored the Child Jesus and this sacred image associated with Christ’s passion.
What is the Holy Face? (Her full religious name was Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face).
Her spiritual strategy was inspired by this modern mechanical invention, viewing God's love as a device that lifts a small child effortlessly.
What is an elevator (or lift)?
To organize her thoughts, the autobiography is divided into three separate manuscripts, labeled with these three letters of the alphabet.
What are A, B, and C?
Recorded by her sisters on her deathbed, these four words were the final statement of love uttered by St. Thérèse.
What is "My God, I love you"?
She taught the "Little Way" by advising, "Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by ____."
What is a kindly word?
At age four, St. Thérèse lost this family member to breast cancer, a tragedy that deeply affected her early childhood.
Who is her mother (Zélie)?
This oldest sister of St. Thérèse entered the Lisieux Carmel first, effectively acting as Thérèse's "second mother" after their mom died.
Who is Pauline (Sister Agnes of Jesus)?
During the final year of her life, Thérèse experienced a profound spiritual trial described as this, feeling completely separated from God and heaven.
What is the Dark Night of the Soul (or trial of faith)?
Published just one year after her death, the initial print run of her autobiography was restricted to this small number of copies.
What is 2,000?
St. Thérèse predicted her own spiritual impact when she stated, "My mission is about to begin, my mission to make God loved as I love Him, to teach my little way to..." this group.
What is souls?
Showing her fierce determination to give everything to God, she stated, "I do not want to be a saint by halves, I choose ____."
What is everything?
On Christmas Eve in 1886, a 13-year-old St. Thérèse experienced this profound spiritual turning point, which completely cured her of her childhood hypersensitivity.
What is her Christmas Conversion?
Within the convent, St. Thérèse was assigned this humble daily job, which included washing heavy linens in freezing water.
What is working in the laundry room?
St. Thérèse offered her daily prayers and sacrifices for these two specific groups of people outside the convent, despite never leaving her cloister.
Who are priests and missionaries?
In her writings, St. Thérèse compares the diverse souls in God's garden to different flowers, noting that a humble wild flower is just as beautiful as this grand bloom.
What is a rose (or lily)?
Due to her failing health, St. Thérèse spent her final months resting in this specific room of the convent.
What is the infirmary?
Offering advice on anxiety and peace of mind, she wrote, "We must abandon the future into ____."
What is the hands of God?