St. Therese as a postulant in Lisieux Carmel

April 9, 1888 to January 10, 1889

 

"Suffering opened wide its arms to me, and I threw myself into them with love."

 Therese Martin entered the Carmelite Monastery of Lisieux on April 9, 1888,  taking the name Sister Therese of the Child Jesus.

Therese was in charge of decorating the statue of the Child Jesus in the cloister.  In May, Therese's sister Marie (Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart), who had entered in October 1886, made her profession, and Therese, as the youngest of the community, crowned her sister with the traditional wreath of roses.  At that time Therese made a general confession to Fr. Almire Pichon, who assured her that she had never committed a mortal sin.  In June 1888 Therese's father began to show grave symptoms of the illness which would lead to his being confined at the Bon Sauveur asylum at Caen.  Read about the sudden disappearance of Louis Martin in June 1888 and about how Louis was found at Le Havre.  During this period of her life Therese called herself "the little reed of Jesus."

 As a postulant Therese sewed in the linen room in the company of the novice mistress, Sister Marie of the Angels.  

Therese was eligible to receive the habit six months after her entrance, but, due to her father's uncertain state of health, her Clothing was postponed until January 10, 1889.  She turned sixteen eight days before that ceremony.  Read about Therese's reception of the Habit and her life as a Carmelite novice from January 10, 1889 until September 8, 1890.

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 photo credit: ouisram