Thérèse of Lisieux honoured by UNESCO in 2022 and 2023

UNESCO has decided to select Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897) as one of the anniversaries commemorated by UNESCO in 2022-2023.

Every two years, UNESCO associates itself with the anniversary of personalities or institutions who, through their figures and shared works, promote the same values of humanity in the service of peace and understanding between peoples that the organisation defends.

 Each Member State of UNESCO may then nominate one man and one woman for inclusion in the list of anniversaries with which UNESCO could be associated for the next two years. This is referred to as a "biennium" or "biennial", which takes into account the time span of two years.

At the suggestion of the Shrine of Lisieux, France has chosen to present the figure of Thérèse of Lisieux, born in 1873, with the support of Belgium and Italy. France also presented Gustave Eiffel, who died in 1923.

After an internal selection process, UNESCO has chosen to include Thérèse of Lisieux in its final list of anniversaries commemorated during its 2022/2023 biennial, motivated by her universal personality:

Extract from the presentation of Thérèse de Lisieux to the Executive Council of 25 March 2021

"Thérèse of Lisieux was a nun who died at the age of 24 and is best known for her posthumous publications, including Histoire d'une âme. This celebration will contribute to bringing greater visibility and justice to women who have promoted the values of peace through their actions. Given the fame of Thérèse of Lisieux in the Catholic community (the city of Lisieux being the second most popular place of pilgrimage in France after Lourdes), the celebration of her birthday can be an opportunity to highlight the role of women within religions in the fight against poverty and the promotion of inclusion, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 161. It can also reinforce UNESCO's message on the importance of culture (poems and written plays) in promoting universal values and as a vehicle for inter-religious dialogue.”

1 MDG 1: Inclusive quality education for all as a key factor in poverty eradication.

MDG 16: Foster peaceful inclusive societies through education, including peace and human rights education and the provision of education in emergencies. Encourage dialogue between cultures, the culture of peace and non-violence... Strengthen governance systems for culture and fundamental freedoms.    

This article is excerpted from a press release published on the Web site of the Shrine at Lisieux (https://www.therese-de-lisieux.catholique.fr).   I reproduce it here with fervent thanks to the Shrine at Lisieux, the Shrine at Alencon, UNESCO, and all their partners in celebrating this worldwide honor done to Therese].  Look for more information about the universal significance of this award in the days to come.