St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Patron Saint of the Sick, AIDS Suffers, Missionaries, and Florists

Famous for her autobiography, Story of a Soul, St. Therese of Lisieux was a 19th century French saint and a Doctor of the Church. She became a Carmelite nun in 1887 at the age of fifteen, though her life was cut short by tuberculosis at the age of 24. She embodied the power of prayer and, as a result, became a patron saint of missionaries, despite her status as a cloistered nun. Seeing herself as the “little flower of Jesus”, she famously quipped: "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses." Those with a devotion to St. Therese often report that roses appear when they ask for her intercession or guidance. St. Therese’s parents, Louis and Zelie Martin, are also saints.

Catholic Apostolate Center Blog Posts on St. Thérèse of Lisieux

• The Witness of Young Saints and Their Importance to Young People

• St. Therese and the Power of Intercession

• Journeying Through Lent with St. Thérèse of Lisieux

• October Saints: Using Our Gifts for the Church

• The Fierceness of a Child

• Women of Faith

Pilgrimage Sites in the United States

• National Shrine of St. Thérèse — Juneau, AK

• National Shrine of Saint Therese — Darien, IL

• National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica — Royal Oak, MI

• Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower — San Antonio, TX