St. Therese of the Child Jesus of the Child Jesus has a special chapel in the cloister-like natural surroundings.
Saint Therese of the Child Jesus
(Born 1873 – Died 1897)
A Carmelite cloistered nun, popularly known as the Little Flower, Therese was devoutly religious from childhood. After a conversion, shortly before her 14th birthday, she strongly desired to enter the Carmelite convent in Lisieux, France. Therese applied for admission, but because of her age, there was a year’s delay before she was finally permitted to enter.
St. Therese’s life as a cloistered nun was marked by heroic love and fidelity in performing her duties and the intensity and fervour of her interior life. Her autobiography, Story of a Soul, published after her death, quickly became popular worldwide and gained recognition as a spiritual classic. With disarming simplicity and candour, it tells of the Little Way, approaching God in the ordinary things of life with childlike spirituality.
St. Therese was beatified in 1923 and canonised in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. In 1927 Pius XI proclaimed St. Therese the Principal Patroness of the universal missionary activity of the Church. On October 19th, 1997, Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church.
“I will spend my Heaven doing good on earth.”
(St. Therese)
Generous benefactors helped to build this shrine. Marian Valley volunteers carried out the work completely, and the shrine was blessed on October 1st 1999.