British troops wend their way through the ruins of Lisieux, 22 August 1944. They stand before the destroyed parish church of St. Desir, which was also the chapel of the Benedictine Abbey where St. Therese made her First Communion on May 8, 1884. The Abbey received a direct hit the day after D-Day; the great crucifix at right was unharmed.
"Fire broke out in several places, and there was neither water to put it out nor firemen to fight it. We were surrounded by it and on the night of June 7 we were forced to evacuate and to find refuge in the crypt of the Basilica, where we remained until August 27."
These lines are from a letter dated September 8, 1944, written by Sister Anne of Jesus, a Carmelite nun of Lisieux, and addressed to the Carmelite community at Three Rivers, Quebec. The letter is quoted extensively in the story "Carmelites Reveal 'Miracle of Lisieux'": Petition to Mary and St. Therese Brings Protection of God," published by the Arkansas Catholic, November 3, 1944. Please click on the title to read this eyewitness account of the fate of the Carmelite nuns of Lisieux. During the terrible bombing of June 6-7, 63 nuns from various religious communities in Lisieux died. All the Carmelite nuns survived. We are most grateful to the archives of the Arkansas Catholic for the chance to share this historic account with you. Please do click to see a legible scan of the actual 1944 newspaper with this amazing story. This entry is in honor of the 70th annniverary of D-Day.
Maureen O'Riordan