Statue of St. Therese of the Child Jesus of the Holy Face, Doctor of the Church, in the Philadelphia Carmel. In her right hand St. Therese holds the biretta, the symbol of a Doctor. 

On October 19, 1997, twenty-nine years ago today, Pope St. John Paul II proclaimed St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face a Doctor of the Universal Church.  “Everyone thus realizes that today something surprising is happening,” he said in his homily: the Church was recognizing “a woman, a young person, a contemplative” as a teacher for the whole Church.[1] 

Today’s anniversary invites us not only to celebrate that recognition but also to return to the teaching it recognized.  Why was Thérèse named a doctor? How did the proclamation come about? What does her contribution ask of us today?

Here are several resources for exploring those questions.

Why did the Church recognize Thérèse as a doctor?

The essential starting point is Divini amoris scientia—“The Science of Divine Love,” St. John Paul IIʼs apostolic letter of October 19, 1997.  It explains the significance of Thérèseʼs teaching, its grounding in Scripture, and its reception throughout the Church.[2]

Sections 7–9 are especially rewarding.  “Her doctrine,” John Paul II writes, “is at once a confession of the Churchʼs faith, an experience of the Christian mystery and a way to holiness.”   Readers interested in the history of the proclamation will also find a concise account of the final stages of the process in section 12.[3]

John Paul II’s homily at the Mass on October 19, 1997 offers a shorter introduction.  It conveys the surprise and joy of the occasion and explains why Thérèseʼs teaching belongs to the whole Church.[4]

Return to the day of the proclamation

The proclamation took place on World Mission Sunday.  In his homily, John Paul II connected the choice of that date Thérèseʼs missionary vocation: her hidden life in Carmel was not a withdrawal from the Churchʼs mission but a profound participation in it.[5]

 What does her doctorate mean for us today?

Pope Francis returned to this question in Cʼest la confiance, his apostolic exhortation on Thérèse, published on October 15, 2023.  Its concluding section, “At the heart of the Gospel,” paragraphs 46–52, is a particularly illuminating companion to the documents of 1997.[6]

Calling Thérèse a “Doctor of synthesis,” Francis emphasizes her ability to lead us to what is central and indispensable.  In paragraph 50, he asks theologians, moralists, spiritual writers, pastors, and believers to draw out both the theoretical and the practical consequences of her teaching.  In the following paragraph, he cautions against quoting her on matters that are secondary while overlooking what is distinctive about her message.[7]

That is a searching invitation for this anniversary: not simply to repeat familiar sayings, but to listen for the heart of what Thérèse has to teach.

How did the doctorate come about?

For a more extended historical study, see my introduction to Mary-Ellen Malolepszy’s Thérèse of Lisieux: Doctor of the Church.  A Study of the Cause, Process, and Proclamation of October 19, 1997.  This 2002 master’s thesis examines the history of the cause and the process leading to the proclamation, including the role of the Carmelite Order.  My introductory post provides further details and a link to the thesis.[8]

How might Thérèse’s teaching speak to our own times?

In her lecture St Thérèse of Lisieux: A Doctor of the Church for Our Times, Dr. Rebekah Lamb offers a contemporary reflection on Thérèse’s teaching and its reception, drawing on Dorothy Day, Ida Görres, and Hans Urs von Balthasar.  Prepared in the year after the visit of Thérèse’s relics to Scotland, the lecture considers her significance for readers today.[9]

An invitation to read further

You will find these and more materials on Thérèse, Doctor of the Universal Church, the resource page on this Web site.

As we look toward the thirtieth anniversary in October 2027, may todayʼs commemoration become an invitation to renewed study: to return to Thérèseʼs writings, to consider the Churchʼs recognition of her teaching, and to discover what we have yet to learn from her.

[1] https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_19101997_divini-amoris.html - accessed 10/19/2026.

[2] https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_19101997_divini-amoris.html - accessed 10/19/2026.

[3] https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_19101997_divini-amoris.html - accessed 10/19/2026.

[4] https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19101997.html - accessed 10/19/2026

[5] https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19101997.html - accessed 10/19/2026.

[6] https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20231015-santateresa-delbambinogesu.html - accessed 10/19/2026

[7] https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20231015-santateresa-delbambinogesu.html - accessed 10/19/2026 

[8] http://www.thereseoflisieux.org/my-blog-about-st-therese/2013/4/7/therese-of-lisieux-doctor-of-the-church-a-study-of-the-cause.html - accessed 10/19/2026

[9] https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/publications/st-th%C3%A9r%C3%A8se-of-lisieux-a-doctor-of-the-church-for-our-times/ - accessed 10/19/2026

 Video (3:39) from the Carmel of Lisieux of the infirimary where Therese lived from July 8, 1897 until her death on September 30, 1897.

I prepared a page of resources to celebrate the feast of St. Therese.  Fervent thanks to all the creators.  Enjoy!  

 A rediscovered treasure: "Therese superstar," a breathtakingly accurate documentary of the rise of the cult of St. Therese from her death in 1897 until she was named a Doctor of the Church in 1997.  This fascinating film, made for France 3 Normandie (FR3) in 1997 by Remi Mauger, an award-winning filmmaker, examines the phenomenon of Therese from her death in 1897 until 1997.  Archival-quality documents and images blend with interviews with historians, sociologists, and others.  All the audio is in French, but it's easy to follow the visuals even if you don't understand French.  You can see the first edition of "Story of a Soul' and related correspondence; the handwritten imprimatur of Bishop Hugonin in 1898; many images of Therese's influence among the soldiers in World War I; the progress of her cause; rare film footage of the ceremony of her beatification in 1923; and other treasures. 60 minutes.  Congratulations and thanks to France 3 Normandi, Remi Mauger, and all who contributed to this historic documentary.

Please zoom in to read this article, published on the day St. Therese was canonized in 1925:

In this 53-second video, watch the arrival of the reliquary of St. Therese of Lisieux at the first stop on its tour of the United States, the National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, Michigan.

For an in-depth story about the visit, read "Relics of St. Therese of Lisieux begin U.S. Tour at Basilica Named in Her Honor" by Martin Barillas for the Catholic News Agency.

The relics will be at the Shrine until Wednesday, October 8.  For the full itinerary of the pilgrimage of the relics in the United States, which will end on December 8, please visit https://stthereseusa2025.com/

A superb way to

• prepare to get the most from the chance to pray in the presence of the relics; 
• to follow up on the graces of your visit; 
• or, if you cannot go to one of the sites to pray in person, to do so virtually, is to