Saint Thérèse's childhood was a little rough... She was only 4 years old when her mother died from breast cancer. Because of this, she was traumatized and was a very sensitive person. On Christmas Eve when she was 13, she experienced Jesus when she got home from mass and was free from the trauma.

Saint Thérèse was only 15 when she entered a monastery. She wanted to go into the monastery very early and was too young to go at age 14, and personally asked Pope Leo XIII to get permission and sadly got denied (which she really wasn't supposed to as she was a pilgrim and was instructed not to!). She finally got in with a special waiver at the age of 15! She officially became a nun when she was 17 years old.

Imagine if all of your siblings became a priest or a nun... Well all 4 of her sisters became nuns! 3 of them all lived at the same monastery together too!

We also actually know what she looks like too! Cameras were invented by then! Here are some real pics of her

Her parents are also Saints too! So we know for sure they are all together in Heaven :) Sadly though, 4 of her siblings died when they were very young.

Imagine dying 2 years after you graduate, that's hard to think about, right? Sadly Saint Terese died when she was 24 years old. Despite this, her autobiography got published shortly after she died.

She is one of the four women doctors of the Church, with Hildegard who we celebrated 2 candlelights ago being one of the other ones. Couicidently, we will celebrate all four women of the Church for Candlelight Mass this academic year 👀