Thérèse Martin, future Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, was born on January 2, 1873 in Alecon, France. At the age of 15, she decided to become a cloistered Carmelite after wanting to follow in the footsteps of her sisters but the Carmelite superior refused her the choice because of her young age. After also being refused entry by the bishop, Thérèse even approached Pope Leo XIII while she was on pilgrimage with her father and sister. After being forbidden to speak to the Pope, Thérèse broke the obligatory silence and requested his approval to be accepted into the Carmelite cloister. Pope Leo XIII was impressed by Thérèse and she was soon accepted into the cloister and could finally join her two older sisters. Within a year of Thérèse's acceptance, she had become so ill with a fever that people thought she was on her deathbed. Then one day, when Thérèse saw her sisters praying to the statue of the Virgin Mary in her room, she saw Mary smiling at her and was instantly healed. From then on, “Little Flower”, as she was commonly called, led an enlightened and spiritual life which led her to become a doctor of the Church, author and patron saint. According to the Church, a physician is one who transmits the Gospel, teaching by word and example and, to date, there are only thirty-three Doctors of the Church. Of the two Carmelite doctors, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux is one. Chosen as a Doctor of the Church because of her radiant holiness, her humility, her goodness, her integrity and her radical dedication to the will of God, all of this was the unmistakable seal of her holiness. Not only because of her holiness, Thérèse also had an original, faithful and profound theological teaching which left a strong and lasting impression. Pope John Paul II saw it and on October 19, 1997, he declared Saint Thérèse of Lisieux “Doctor of the Universal Church.” This day marked the culmination of a series of honors bestowed upon him as Doctor Ecclesiae. But the process of listing a Doctor of the Church is not a simple process. There are three requirements: eminent learning or doctrine, an exceptional or high degree of holiness, and a declaration from a supreme pontiff or general council. Saint Teresa fulfilled these three conditions as well as a careful examination of her writings. Becoming a Doctor of the Church is truly one of the highest, most...... middle of paper ......popularity with the people due to her common works, she was beatified in 1923 then canonized by Pope Pius Her dedication to helping impresses me and proves that small acts can go a long way. She also showed that the things she did made a difference and she never gave up. She had enough confidence in herself to approach the Pope and that alone is quite a courageous step in itself. After learning about Thérèse's accomplishments, she challenged me and reminded me to continue to do more good works for other people around me, even if they don't feel needed or needed. Believing in myself and what I do and never getting discouraged was the way Thérèse lived her life and that is how I must remember to live mine in order to be a faithful person ready to help all those who are in need and to put the needs of others before my own. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux led a selfless life that I hope to one day be able to experience for myself and the joy that comes from helping others..