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September 24, 2020Bishop Guy Gaucher, O.C.D. (1930-2014), was an auxiliary bishop of Lisieux, France, and an authority on Saint Therese of Lisieux. This book was originally published in French in 1982.
This current English translation flows very well and keeps the reader's interest. If the reader has not read Saint Therese's autobiography “Story of a Soul” one should read that first and then read this biography. This book fills in the parts that one might have questions about in the autobiography. The author and the translator have done a great job telling Saint Therese's story. The reader can imagine being in the various scenes that are presented. They are so clear and vivid.
Gaucher presents the real Saint Therese in the various states of her life. The reader will realize that Therese had a wonderful home life even though she lost her mother. The family was not poor, but they were not rich. They were small business owners who worked along with their employees. Some of her sisters had become Carmelite nuns in Lisieux and another was in and out of a Visitation convent who eventually did remain in the convent. Her parents are canonized saints.
Gaucher quotes from Saint Therese's autobiography and other sources. Again, the book flows very well and does not disappoint. There are many black and white photos, which if one is familiar with Saint Therese they will recognize them. Those who are not familiar will be pleasantly surprised. The photos are clear and striking. The book has Saint Therese's genealogy and a bibliography of her writings.
Saint Therese was born Jan. 2, 1873, in Alencon, France, to Saint Louis and Saint Marie Azelie “Zelie” Guerin Martin. She was their ninth of nine children. She was a sensitive child. Her mother died Aug. 28, 1877. The family moved to Lisieux in 1877. There was a Carmelite monastery there, where four of the Martin daughters ended up joining.
In May 1887, Saint Therese began to seek entry into the Lisieux Carmel. This was not an easy task for her. She ran into obstacles partly due to her age. She was around 14. She went on a pilgrimage to Rome with her family and asked Pope Leo XIII for his help, but he told her to follow the directions of the local bishop and other superiors.
Eventually, she did receive permission to enter the Carmel. On April 9, 1888, she entered the Carmel and began the process to become a Carmelite nun. Two of her sisters were already members. Life in the Carmel was not easy for her, but she adapted. She found the nuns to be like any other humans with their own personalities and life difficulties.
She developed tuberculosis, which eventually killed her on Sept. 30, 1897, at age 24. The process for her canonization was begun in 1909. She was beatified on April 29, 1923, by Pope Pius XI and he canonized her on May 17, 1925. She was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1997 by Saint John Paul II. Her parents were canonized in 2015 by Pope Francis and one of her sisters, Sister Francoise-Therese Leonie Martin's cause for canonization was opened in January 2015. This book is highly recommended to those interested in Saint Therese. Her feast day is Oct. 1.
Br. Benet Exton, O.S.B., St. Gregory's Abbey, Shawnee, is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
