St. Therese of Lisieux
This religious statue once graced St. Teresa's Catholic church in Hutchinson, Kansas. When some of the church's older fixtures were disposed of, the figure ended up in the home of parishioner Maria DeJesus Alonzo.
The donor believed the statue represented St. Teresa of Avila, for whom St. Teresa's Catholic Church is named. This was a logical assumption because the saint was Spanish and many of the church's parisioners were Mexican American.
The figure actually is St. Therese of Lisieux, France, who was an admirer of St. Teresa of Avila. Both women were members of the Carmelite order, but depictions of St. Therese always carry roses (she was nicknamed "The Little Flower").
St. Therese entered the order in 1888 at the age of 15. She died less than ten years later of tuberculosis. Pronounced a saint in 1925, she later was named "Patroness of Foreign Missions." Her feast day is October 3.
This statute is in the collections of the Kansas Museum of History, donated by Alonzo's estate.
Entry: St. Therese of Lisieux
Author: Kansas Historical Society
Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.
Date Created: May 2001
Date Modified: December 2014
The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.
