Saint Therese of Lisieux: A Gateway

Portrait of St. Stanislaus Kostka by Scipione Delfine, c. 1569.  Public domain.  Wikimedia Commons

On the feast of St. Stanislaus Kostka: For the golden jubilee of Sr. St. Stanislaus, celebrated on February 8, 1897, St. Therese, as de facto novice mistress, wrote the play, "St. Stanislaus Kostka," which the novices performed during the evening recreation.

The life of St. Stanislaus touched St. Therese in several ways.  Like her, the young Polish man wanted to enter religious life  (the Jesuits) very young.  The opposition of his influential father made his local provincial hesitate to receive him, so he went on foot to Rome (450 miles!) and received permission to enter the Society there.  He edified everyone by his piety and prayerfulness.  He was a novice for only about nine months, for on August 15, 1568, he died of a lung disease.

Therese closes her play with Stanislaus confiding to the Blessed Virgin his great desire to continue to do good after his death.  The Virgin Mary assures him that his desire will be granted.  Please enjoy this little-known work, in which Therese expresses her own desires, at St. Stanislaus Kostka, courtesy of the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux and the Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites.  We pwe the valuable opportunity to read Therese's writings online to their generous collaboration.

For a fuller understanding of the play and of Therese's seven other religious plays, consult The Plays of St. Therese of Lisieux, general introduction by Guy Gaucher, O.C.D., translated by Susan Conroy and David J. Dwyer (Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 2008, pp. 322-354).  The foreword to "St. Stanislaus Kostka" informs us about the jubilee celebration, the life of the young Stanislaus, the life and circumstances of Therese when she wrote this play, and details of the performance.