Last Wednesday, October 1st. was  the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux, a saint whose life has had a tremendous influence on the Church since her death, and continues in a most marvellous way to affect spiritually  millions as the casket with her remains is brought to different countries by the invitation of  their bishops. Next year, her remains will be brought to England at the request of Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, where they will lie  before the altars of cathedrals and in the principle churches throughout the land

Brief history of the life of St. Therese
Therese Martin was the last of nine children born to Louis and Zelie Martin on January 2, 1873, in Alencon France. However, only five of these children lived to reach adulthood. Precocious and sensitive, Therese needed much attention. Her mother died when she was 4 years old. As a result, her father and sisters babied young Therese. She had a spirit that wanted everything. At the age of 14, on Christmas Eve in 1886, Therese had a conversion that
transformed her life. From then on, her powerful energy and

so that hundreds of thousands of people of all denominations will be able to come to pray beside her remains.
When the casket with her remains was taken to Ireland in July, 2001, it was the biggest sensation since Pope John Paul 11 visited the country. 21 years previously.
The streets of Dublin were lined with thousands as the Casket was borne to the Cathedral, and the army and police turned out in force to form a guard of honour.
It was reckoned that three out of every five Catholics in Ireland prayed at her casket during the 75 days it was in the country. It remained  for

sensitive spirit were turned toward love, instead of keeping herself happy. At 15, she entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux by special permission of the Pope to give her whole life to God. She took the religious name Sister Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. Living a hidden, simple life of prayer, she was gifted with great intimacy with God. Through sickness and dark nights of doubt and fear, she remained faithful to God, rooted in his merciful love. After a long struggle with tuberculosis, she died on
September 30, 1897, at the age  of 24.  

22 hours  in each church designated to receive it, and youths pouring out of discos would spend the night in prayer—such was the effect of this 19th century French saint on millions of people.

Her last words were the story of her life: "My God, I love You!  The world came to know Therese through her autobiography, The Story of a Soul,  in which she described her life as a "little way of spiritual childhood." She lived each day with an unshakeable confidence in God's love. "What matters in life," she wrote, "is not great deeds, but great love." She lived and taught a spirituality of attending to everyone and everything well with a deep love.  She believed that just as a child becomes enamoured with what is before her, we should also have a childlike focus and totally attentive love of God. Therese's spirituality is of doing the ordinary  things in  life , with extraordinary love.  >>>>>