A century after her canonization, Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face continues to illuminate souls with her simple, yet powerful, spirituality. The little Carmelite of Lisieux, canonized in 1925 by Pope Pius XI, is today one of the most beloved saints of the Church. And for good reason: her "little way"—that of trust and love offered to God in the smallest things—remains a beacon in the spiritual night of our time.
Three Days of Celebrations in Lisieux
From May 16 to 18, the town of Lisieux, in Normandy, was transformed into a vast, living sanctuary. It all began with a torchlight procession on Friday evening, starting from the Carmel where the saint lived to the basilica erected in her honor. The prayer vigil that followed gathered many faithful, all united in song and meditation.
Saturday, May 17, the exact anniversary of her canonization, was marked by a solemn ceremony at the foot of her reliquary, accompanied by hymns and the carillon. The Mass celebrated at 11 a.m., and broadcast live on social media, gathered pilgrims from around the world. In the afternoon, numerous activities allowed families and visitors to better know the life of Thérèse: guided tours, a collective creation of mosaics in her image, and the screening of a film retracing her life titled Thérèse of Lisieux, A Race of Giants.
A highlight of the day was the concert by Franco-Canadian singer Natasha St-Pier, who is deeply attached to the saint's spirituality. Through her interpretations of Thérèse's poems, she succeeded in transmitting a profound, unadorned faith to today's youth. In a 2018 interview with La Croix, she shared:
"Thérèse taught me a simple faith, one that can be lived daily, without feeling obligated to do too much. God loves us even in our poverty."
Sunday, May 18, the closing day, began with the live broadcast on the basilica's screens of the inauguration of the pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV from Rome. A strong and symbolic link between the Norman saint and the current events of the universal Church. In the afternoon, a gathering in front of the Carmel provided an opportunity to discuss the many miracles recognized by the Church through Thérèse's intercession, testifying to her constant closeness to suffering souls.
A Spirituality That Defies the Centuries
Thérèse did not seek external grandeur. What interested her was love. Not an idealized love, but a love lived in daily life, through small sacrifices, hidden gestures, and silent offerings. In a world saturated with noise, agitation, and an obsession with performance, her witness becomes a providential remedy.
It is this path of absolute trust that Pope Francis sought to highlight in his apostolic exhortation It is Trust, published in 2023. He cites these clear words of the saint:
"It is trust, and nothing but trust, that must lead us to love."
Father Emmanuel Schwab, rector of the Lisieux sanctuary, recently recalled that it is this bare, radical trust that summarizes the entire "little way" of Thérèse: a way of abandonment into the arms of the Father.
Born in Alençon in 1873, entering Carmel at only 15 years old, Thérèse died of tuberculosis at 24 in 1897. Her path was marked by very profound interior trials. From Easter 1896 onward, she entered what she called her "night of faith." During the last 18 months of her life, she no longer perceived God. She traversed a spiritual darkness so dense that she came to experience what Father François Marxer calls a share of atheism that every person carries. A darkness that, far from extinguishing faith, purifies and deepens it.
A Message That Crosses Borders
This centenary is not limited to France. In the United States, a tour of Saint Thérèse's relics will take place from October to December, passing through national shrines in Texas, Michigan, and Florida. Parishes like that of Santa Teresinha in Alhambra, California, will organize Eucharistic processions and conferences centered on the saint. A true worldwide radiance, showing how deeply Thérèse touches hearts, regardless of language or culture.
In this world chasing after the extraordinary, Thérèse brings us back to the essential. To that truth so simple, but which our pride too often forgets: we are nothing without the love of God. And it is in the very small, in the hidden, in the silent that holiness is born.
Thérèse, little flower of Carmel, continues, one hundred years after her ascent to heaven, to guide hearts toward God. May her example inspire us to choose the way of trust, joyful sacrifice, and true love.