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THE PRIESTHOOD
Thérèse and Priests
by Paciano B. Aniceto, D.D.
If one were to study the life of Thérèse, an investigation of her letters would not be a bad starting point. Letters are like mirrors. They provide us with an image of the writer at the moment of their composition. Letters, especially personal letters between friends, acquaintances and relatives, have a certain spontaneity which is not otherwise found in other forms of literature. They possess a certain confidentiality, a certain frankness, a certain familiarity and a certain intimacy comparable to a conversation. Letters reflect the familiarity and intimacy comparable to a conversation. Letters reflect the writer’s present which is hard to recapture even by a conscientious and deliberate effort by the author for the purpose of drafting an autobiography. One can even go on to say that letters are as much autobiographical as an autobiography.
In discussing the importance of letters, it is not, in any way, my intention to pit the letters of Thérèse against her Histoire d’une ame ("The Story of a Soul"). Rather, I am providing myself with an apology for how I intend to proceed in this paper—namely, to focus on (but not to limit myself to) Thérèse ‘s letters specifically to two priests—Fr. Maurice-Barthelemy Belliere and Fr. Adolphe-Jean Louis-Eugene Roulland.
There were nine priests who played a part in the life of Thérèse: 1)Abbe Domin, Chaplain to the Benedictines of Lisieux; 2) Abbe Reverony, Vicar General of Bayeux; 3) Msgr. Hugonin Bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux; 4) Canon Delatroette, ecclesiastical Superior of the Carmel; 5)Fr. Almire Pichon, S.J.; 6) Fr. Alexis Prou, S.J.; 7) Abbe Youf, Chaplain to the Carmel; 8)Fr. Belliere; and 9) Fr. Roulland.1 Of these nine, Thérèse wrote letters to five: Fr. Pichon, S.J., Msgr. Hugonin, Abbe Reverony, Fr. Belliere and Fr. Roulland. Of these five, Thérèse has written more letters to Frs. Belliere and Roulland who were assigned to her as spiritual brothers. She wrote eleven letters to Fr. Belliere while he was still a seminarian and seven letters (six of which have been preserved) to Fr. Roulland.
A few words about these two priests appear to be in order. Fr. Belliere was a second year seminary student at the Sommervieu Major Seminary when he became Thérèse‘s first spiritual brother. He was born on June 10, 1874. His mother died at an early age. He was, thus, raised by Mrs. Barthelemy, his aunt and mother by adoption. He left France for his Novitiate in Algiers with the White Fathers on September 29, 1897, the day before Thérèse died. He was ordained a priest on June 29, 1901. After several years as a missionary in Africa, he was stricken with "sleeping sickness" and was forced to return to France. He died shortly thereafter at his family home in Lagrunes on July 14, 1907 at the age of 33.
Fr. Roulland was a member of the Society of Foreign Missions. He was born in Cahagnolle, France, near Bayeux, on October 13, 1870. He was ordained a priest on June 28, 1896. That same year, he left for China and was stationed in Su-Tchuen. In 1909, he returned to France and became the Director, then Procurator, of the Seminary of Foreign Missions in Paris. He was asked to be a bishop in 1917 but he declined. He died in May 12, 1934 at the age of 63. Fr. Roulland is Thérèse ‘s second spiritual brother.
Thérèse: A Woman of Her Time
Thérèse was a woman of her time. She lived at a time when priests were highly revered not only in France but also in the rest of the Christian world. Fr. Roulland, for instance, recounts his encounter with four people from his mission area on his initial missionary days in China: "When they learned I was their priest," he recalls, "they genuflected before me one after the other, and I was somewhat embarrassed during this ceremony so novel to me."2 Thérèse was undoubtedly aware of the human weakness and fragility of priests. Nonetheless, like many Christians of her time, she maintained her respect and high regard for priests whom she considered as "pure as crystal" and whose "dignity raised them above the angels."3 The esteem she had for priests explains her hesitancy when she was asked by the Carmel Prioress, Mother Marie Gonzague, to be the spiritual sister of Fr. Roulland. She herself admits that she felt "unworthy to be associated in any way with one of the missionaries of the adorable Jesus."4
The reverence with which priests were held during the time of Thérèse can be explained by the prevailing theology of the priesthood. It was a theology centered mainly on the Eucharist and Penance. The preaching of the word is mentioned in a secondary or tangential way. This is, of course, understandable insofar as the Reformers and Protestant theology stressed the centrality of preaching the word as essential to the priesthood. The views of Robert Bellarmine on the sacrament of orders which dominated in the aftermath of the Reformation, bear the same focus. His discussion on priestly functions centered mainly on the Eucharist and Penance. The Tridentine approach to the sacrament of orders prevailed until the time of Vatican II. This, however, does not mean that there were no significant historical studies and important progress made in the interregnum. However, the Church maintained an apologetic and conservative stance in the face of the Protestant position and the Modernist challenge.5
In many ways, the priest, during the time of Thérèse, was a "cultic-man." Priesthood was understood in relation to the Eucharist. Thérèse as a woman of her time shared in this understanding. The priest, for her, is a man by whose voice "Jesus deigns to descend from heaven."6 Thus, she made that request to his spiritual brother, Fr. Roulland, "to make each day at the holy altar a memento for me."7 The prevailing theology of the priesthood definitely finds its echoes in many of the things Thérèse writes.
Thérèse: The Call and The Apostolate of The Ordained Priest
Thérèse was unmistakably a woman of her time. However, she was also a woman who has a message for our time, whose writings continue to speak to our priests today.
1. The "military imagery" for the apostolic ministry.
I am not surprised that it was the Jesuits who first pushed for the conferral of the title "Doctor of the Church" on Thérèse. Similarly, I am not at all puzzled by the fact that many of those who developed a liking for Thérèse are Jesuits, friends of Jesuits and people who, at some point in their lives, have come in contact with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Like Ignatius, Thérèse uses "military imagery" in her writings. I hope, however, that our Jesuit friends would not be dismayed by learning that Thérèse‘s military language is probably derived, not from Ignatius, but from her own reading of Sacred Scriptures and the life of Joan of Arc.
Thérèse considers the field of the apostolate as a "field of battle."8 She compares the actual apostolate to a "battle"9 that entailed "glorious conquests."10 The soldier of Christ is armed with a "sword" which is that of "the word and apostolic works."11 She depicts the purpose of the apostolate as winning "numerous victories"12 for Jesus, the "conquest of souls."13 She considers the priest a "conqueror" and herself "the sister of a conqueror"14 who collaborates in the apostolate of her spiritual brother. Similarly, Thérèse describes her own religious vocation in military language. She believed that Jesus "armed me for a way" that led her to conquer "the fortress of Carmel."15 From there, she sees herself participating in the apostolate of her spiritual brothers, pointing out that "my only weapon is love and suffering."16 Finally, Thérèse shares to Fr. Belliere when he was still a seminarian what she saw to be the purpose of her own religious vocation: "When I was beginning to learn the history of France, the account of Joan of Arc’s exploit delighted me; I felt in my heart the desire and the courage to imitate her. It seemed the Lord destined me, too, for great things. I was not mistaken, but instead of voices from heaven inviting me to combat, I heard in the depths of my soul a gentler and stronger voice, that of the Spouse of Virgins, who was calling me to other exploits, to more glorious conquests, and into Carmel’s solitude. I understood my mission was not to have a mortal king crowned but to make the King of heaven loved, to submit to Him the kingdom of hearts."17 A kingdom of hearts for the King of heaven—that was how Thérèse saw her own calling.
By portraying in military language the priestly apostolate and her own participation in that apostolate as her own religious vocation, Thérèse is able to underscore the significance and magnitude of what is at stake. Just like a battle, the priestly apostolate is likened to a matter concerning life and death. It should be waged with intensity and fervor. The priestly ministry would certainly not be, in the least, diminished if it is carried out with the fire and vigor Thérèse envisioned for it through her use of military imagery.
2. The priest as disciple
For Thérèse, priesthood requires a life of total commitment. This understanding emerges when she com pared priesthood with marriage. Writing to Fr. Belliere when he was still a seminarian, she asked: "Is not your soul a fiancée of the Divine Lamb, and will it not soon become His spouse on the blessed day of your ordination...?"18 Just as she traced the source of her religious vocation to God who called her from her infancy,19 so Thérèse also attributes the origin of the priestly calling to the initiative of God. Expressing her gratitude to the Lord for her spiritual brother, Fr. Belliere, she declares, "...my gratitude is not less great than yours to Our Lord, who has given me a little brother whom he destines (italics ours) to become His priest and His apostle."20 Priesthood is not just about the community delegating a person for a specific function. Priesthood is, in the first place, about God’s election. It originates from and has its roots in that divine mysterious call, the call to discipleship: "Follow me." Thérèse is unquestionably "Catholic" in this regard.
Thérèse, of course, is well aware of the human side of discipleship, the "naturally painful separation" from family and relatives that is the consequence of discipleship.21 She herself had to bear the pain of leaving her own father under the care of her sister Celine when she decided to enter the Carmelite monastery in Lisieux at the young age of fifteen. It was an experience which she calls a "bidding an everlasting adieu to the world" and "becoming a prisoner of Jesus."22 For her, "it is impossible to leave one’s father, mother, and country, without experiencing all the rendings of separation (italics ours)."23 It is her own experience that allows her to empathize with her two spiritual brothers who deeply felt the pain of being disassociated from family and loved ones.
Modern psychologists would like to speak of positive reinforcement. Affirmation does a lot of good and great things to people. They are motivated to achieve. Read the letters of Thérèse to her two spiritual brothers and you will find plenty of it especially in relation to her spiritual brothers’ decision to follow Jesus. Referring to the rich young man of the Gospel who had to go away sadly for his many possessions,24 Thérèse would say to Fr. Belliere: "More blessed than he, you have answered faithfully the Master’s call, you have left all to follow Him, and this at the most beautiful age of your life, at eighteen."25 Quoting Mt 19,29 ("He who has left all to follow me will receive a hundredfold in this world and eternal life in the world to come") to Fr. Roulland, Thérèse remarks: "These words of Jesus are already realized in you, for you tell me: I leave happily."26
Thérèse, however, is not concerned in simple positive reinforcement. She is not interested in just giving Frs. Belliere and Roulland a "pat on the back" for she avers that "our only desire is to resemble our adorable Master, whom the world did not wish to know because He emptied Himself, taking on he form and nature of a slave. Oh, Brother! how blessed you are to follow so closely the example of Jesus."27 When all the psychologizing has been sifted, what emerges is an understanding of discipleship related to the priesthood that is Christocentric. That is Thérèse, always going back to Jesus, always turning to His example, particularly His kenosis, His self-emptying.
One gets the feeling that this strong Christocentrism in Thérèse is also the basis for her strong eschatological expectations with respect to the priesthood. In one of her letters to Fr. Roulland, she quotes at length from the Book of Isaiah to emphasize the "hundredfold" that awaits the faithful disciplie.28 In another letter addressed to Fr. Belliere, she points to the glorious expectation that remains hidden to eyes of people whom a priest has "given up": "Ah! If the Divine Master allowed those whom you are leaving for His love to glimpse the glory He is reserving for you, the multitude of souls who will make up your cortege in heaven, they will already be rewarded for the great sacrifice your separation will cause them."29 You will not be abandoned. You will not be desolate. In the final days, a glorious end awaits the faithful disciple. That is what Thérèse anticipates. She is full of glorious and joyous expectations about the future. She is an optimist par excellence. Her two spiritual brothers wanted very much to share in that sentiment which appeared to set her heart on fire.30 Such joyous disposition of Thérèse is because the God she believed is the God of mercy and compassion.
3. The Priest: Immersed in the World
The priest who is called to a life of committed service remains immersed in the world. He never loses his humanity. He remains subject to all temptations and trials of all sorts. Anyone who has lived the life of an ordained minister knows that. Thérèse was keenly aware of that too. However, she moves one step further by providing a Christological grounding for the temptations and trials connected with the call of the ordained. Once again Thérèse turns to the example of Jesus. In trying to encourage Fr. Belliere during one of the low points of his life, Thérèse writes: "It is very consoling to think that Jesus, the Strong God, knew our weaknesses, that he trembled at the sight of the bitter chalice, this chalice that He had in the past so ardently desired to drink. Monsieur l’Abbe, your lot is really beautiful since our Lord chose it for Himself and since He first wet His lips with the cup He is offering you."31 Thérèse calls attention to the compassionate Jesus, one who is not unable to sympathize with human weaknesses "but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin."32 The God of Thérèse is the God of compassionate mercy who can empathize with our weaknesses. He is also a generous God. Listen again to what this time Thérèse has to say to Fr. Roulland: "How can we doubt that God will open the doors of His kingdom to His children who loved Him, who have not only left their family and their country to make him known and loved, but even desire to give their life for Him whom they loved... How would he allow himself to be overcome in generosity? This is, brother, what I think of God’s justice; my way is all confidence and love. I do not understand souls who fear a Friend so tender."33 If we are forced to choose just one thought of Thérèse, and decide to keep in mind and take confidence in this God of compassionate mercy, then Thérèse would have already done us priests a great service.
4. Joy in the Midst of Suffering
The value, even the necessity, of suffering is a constant refrain in the letters of Thérèse to her two spiritual brothers. To Fr. Belliere, Thérèse has these words to say: "In fact, when Jesus calls a soul to direct and to save multitudes of other souls, it is necessary that He have him experience the temptations and trials of life."34 To Fr. Roulland, she even goes on to stress the expediency of suffering for the sake of the Church: "How profitable for the Church must be your pains and trials since it is for the love of Jesus alone that you suffer them with joy."35
Make no mistake. Thérèse is far from advocating a joyless and miserable existence. Neither is she glorifying suffering as such. People who would accuse Thérèse of masochism, in all likelihood, have not read Thérèse or have not read her well. For Thérèse, suffering can be valuable and even a source of joy but only if it is viewed as a participation in the salvific life and death of Christ and subsumed under the gracious will of God. Listen again to what Thérèse has to say to her spiritual brothers. To Fr. Roulland, she declares: "Ever since He has lifted up the standard of the Cross, it is under its shadow that all must fight and carry off the victory...Brother, the beginnings of your apostolate are marked with the seal of the cross; the Lord is treating you as the privileged one. It is more by persecution and suffering...that He wills to make His kingdom firm in souls."36 To Fr. Belliere, she has this encouraging statement: "Jesus is then treating you as a privileged one. He wills that you already begin your mission and that through suffering you may save souls. Is it not in suffering, in dying that He himself redeemed the world?"37
For those of you assigned in the seminary, there is a fascinating exchange of letters between Fr. Roulland and Thérèse. Fr. Roulland has written a letter to Thérèse to pray that he not be assigned in the seminary which he considered a "cross," unpalatable to his taste and unpleasant to his own self. Fr. Roulland writes: "There is one cross I beg God not to impose on me: that of being assigned to a mission seminary, that, especially, of returning as director at the Paris seminary."38 Thérèse replies: "You ask me (in your letter written at Marseilles) to pray to our Lord to remove you from the cross of being named director in a seminary or even that of coming back to France. I understand that this prospect is not pleasing to you; with my whole heart I am begging Jesus that He sees fit to allow you to carry out the laborious apostolate such as your soul always dreamed about. However, I add with you: ‘May God’s will be done.’ In it alone is rest to be found; outside this lovable will we would do nothing either for Jesus or for souls."39 "May God’s will be done!" That is Thérèse ‘s guiding light. In her own life, Thérèse understood the fulfillment of God’s will as constituting the source of her own joy: "It is the thought alone of accomplishing the Lord’s will that makes up all my joy."40
Insertion of suffering into the Cross of Christ and the confident thought of fulfilling the will of God—these two account for the joy in the midst of suffering that Thérèse is speaking about. In a true sense, we have in Thérèse an echo of a passage which Paul has written to the Corinthians: "I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships and persecutions for the sake of Christ. For whenever I am weak, then I am strong."41
5. The Salvation of Souls
Another constant refrain that one reads in going through the letters of Thérèse is the phrase "salvation of souls" as a designation for the purpose of the apostolate. She sees her own religious vocation as collaboration with and a participation in this apostolic task.42
At a time when proclamation of the Word was treated tangentially, Thérèse saw the power of preaching in the apostolate. Delighted once by the homily delivered by Fr. Roulland during his visit at the Carmelite monastery in Lisieux, Thérèse comments: "I see you will not have much trouble in convincing your listeners when you preach, and I hope an abundance of souls will be gathered and offered by you to the Lord."43 Thérèse herself recognized the power of God’s word in her own life. "At times, when I am reading certain spiritual treatises in which perfection is shown through a thousand obstacles, surrounded by a crowd of illusions, my poor little mind quickly tired; I close the learned book that is breaking my head and drying up my heart, and I take up Holy Scripture. Then all seems luminous to me, I see it is sufficient to recognize one’s nothingness and to abandon oneself as a child into God’s arms."44
Moreover, Thérèse does not limit the ministry to the Eucharist and to preaching. In one of her letters, she speaks of "the word and apostolic works."45 What Thérèse meant by "apostolic works" is spelled out in a letter by Fr. Roulland where he described his ministry in his mission station in China: "Now, Sister, here is some good news which reached us: two hundred pagans at least have just acknowledged our God as their God, and they beg to be instructed in the truths of our holy religion. Who knows? These are perhaps my sister’s prayers which have drawn down the grace of God on this region. I have begun my ministry by bringing God to the dying. I was happy to travel with Jesus in the midst of the pagans who did not suspect I had a treasure in my heart. How good is this Jesus to give Himself to all, even those deprived of fortune. He remains in a house where I can hardly breathe. He gives himself to people whom I must, out of prudence, touch only with caution."46
The apostolic works certainly include the conversion efforts, instruction in faith and ministry to the dying. The apostolic activities also include parish visitations, medical missions, preaching, and solemnizing marriages. In a subsequent letter, Fr. Roulland writes: "The Christians of these [mission] stations cannot come to see the priest: so the priest goes to them... I am the doctor and have a lot of practice: the pagans do not dare to come, so they ask me for remedies through the intermediary of Christians...During these two weeks I preached four times...I have blessed two marriages."47
Thérèse does not reduce the priestly ministry to the purely spiritual. Having said that, however, we must also hasten to add that the ultimate purpose of the apostolic endeavor, for Thérèse, is the leading of people to the "heavenly homeland."48
Conclusion
So we have seen Thérèse as a woman of her time and at the same time highlighted five areas where we believe she speaks to us today. Read Thérèse ‘s Story of a Soul but also, I invite you, read her letters. Be consoled by them. Be strengthened and uplifted just as her spiritual brothers were. Like her brothers, you may turn out, in the end, "all on fire with the love of God."
During her lifetime, Thérèse saw her own vocations as a collaboration with her brother priests. She gives the reasons for this: "unable to be a priest, she wanted that in her place a priest may receive the graces of the Lord, that he have the same aspirations, the same desires as herself."49 To illustrate her collaborative participation in the apostolic activity, she uses a fascinating analogy. She refers to and compares herself with "the little zero." Thérèse explains: "Zero by itself has no value, but when placed next to a unit it becomes powerful, provided, however that it be placed on the right side, after and not before!...That is where Jesus has placed me, and I hope to remain there always."50
Thérèse expected to continue in her role as a collaborator of her brother priests even after her life here on earth: "I really count on not remaining inactive in heaven," she says, "my desire is to work still for the Church and for souls."51
So we have in our heavenly homeland a spiritual sister actively working and wishing very much to collaborate with our apostolic activity and multiply our success by ten. We ask her: St. Thérèse, help us. Pray for us. Amen.
Most Rev. Paciano B. Aniceto is the Archbishop of San Fernan do, Pampanga, Philippines. He co-founded with Sister Jeanne Marie the Missionaries of Eucharistic Love—a new semi-contemplative congregation serving the ill and the poor.
End Notes
1. See G. Gaucher, The Spiritual Journey of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, translated
into English by A.M. Brennan London, 1987 (French Original: Histoire d’une vie:
Thérèse Martin, Paris, 1982), p. 164.
2. Fr. Roulland’s Letter No. 4 to Thérèse, September 25/26, 1896
3. Thérèse of Lisieux, The Story of a Soul. A New Translation from the Original
Manuscripts by J. Clarke. Washington, 1975; 1976; Philippine Edition, 1992; 2nd Re
printing 1996; 3rd Reprinting, 1997, p. 122 (French Original: Histoire d’une ame.
Manuscrits autobiographiques, Paris, 1972).
4. Thérèse’s Letter No. 1 to Fr. Roulland, June 23, 1896.
5. For a history of the Roman Catholic approach to the Sacrament of Orders from the time
of Trent until the period Vatican II, see K.B. Osborne, Priesthood. History of the
Ordained Ministry in the Roman Catholic Church, New York/Mahwah NJ, 1989, pp.248-346.
6. Thérèse’s Letter No. 1 to Fr. Roulland, June 23, 1896.
7. Ibid.
8. Thérèse’s Letters No. 5 and No. 7 to Fr. Roulland, March 19, 1897 and July 14,
1897 respectively.
9. Ibid.
10. Thérèse’s Letter No. 1 to Fr. Roulland, June 23, 1896. Responding to this
letter, Fr. Roulland compares his own apostolate to "fighting in the field." See
Fr. Roulland’s Letter No. 1 to Thérèse, July 23, 1896.
11. Thérèse’s Letter No. 3 to Fr. Roulland, July 30, 1896.
12. Thérèse’s Letter No. 5 to Fr. Roulland, March 19, 1897.
13. Thérèse’s Letter No. 7 to Fr. Roulland, July 14, 1897.
14. Thérèse’s Letter No. 6 to Fr. Roulland, May 9, 1897.
15. Thérèse’s Letter No. 4 to Fr. Roulland, November 1, 1896.
16. Thérèse’s Letter No. 3 to Fr. Roulland, July 30, 1896.
17. Thérèse’s Letter No. 4 to Fr. Belliere, April 25, 1897.
18. Thérèse’s Letter No. 3 to Fr. Belliere, February 24, 1897.
19. See Thérèse’s Letter No.4 to Fr. Roulland, November 1, 1896: "It is not on
this day [i.e., December 25] that I received the grace of my religious vocation. Our Lord,
willing for Himself alone my first lance, saw fit to ask my heart in the cradle, if I can
so express myself."
20. Thérèse’s Letter No. 3 to Fr. Belliere, February 24, 1897.
21. See Fr. Roulland’s Letter No. 1 to Thérèse, July 23, 1896.
22. Thérèse’s Letter No. 4 to Fr. Roulland, November 1, 1896.
23. Thérèse’s Letter 3 to Father Roulland, July 30, 1896.
24. See Mark 10, 17-22.
25. Thérèse’s Letter No. 6 to Fr. Belliere, July 21, 1897.
26. Thérèse’s Letter No. 3 to Fr. Roulland, July 30, 1896.
27. See Thérèse’s Letter No. 4 to Fr. Roulland, November 1, 18996.
28. Thérèse’s Letter No.3 to Fr. Roulland, July 30, 1896.
29. Thérèse’s Letter No. 2 to Fr. Belliere, December 26, 1896.
30. See Fr. Roulland’s Letter 3 to Thérèse, August 1, 1896 and Fr. Belliere’s
Letter 3 to Thérèse, April 17/18, 1897.
31. Thérèse’s Letter No. 2 to Fr. Belliere, December 26, 1896.
32. Hb 4, 15.
33. Thérèse’s Letter No. 6 to Fr. Roulland, May 9, 1897.
34. Thérèse’s Letter No. 1 to Fr. Belliere, October 21, 1896.
35. Thérèse’s Letter No. 5 to Fr. Roulland, March 19, 1897.
36. Thérèse’s Letter No. 6 to Fr. Roulland, May 9, 1897.
37. Thérèse’s Letter No. 2 to Fr. Belliere, December 26, 1896.
38. Fr. Roulland’s Letter No. 3 to Thérèse, August 1, 1896.
39. Thérèse’s Letter No. 4 to Fr. Roulland, November 1, 1896.
40. Thérèse’s Letter No. 8 to Fr. Belliere, July 18, 1897.
41. 2 Cor 12, 10.
42. Thérèse’s Letter No. 1 to Fr. Roulland, June 23, 1896: "I shall be happy
to work with you for the salvation of souls." See Thérèse’s Letter No. 6 to
Fr. Roulland, May 9, 1897. Pondering about the joy of heaven in which she is led to
conclude that a lifetime is but a day compared with eternity, Thérèse exhorts Fr.
Roulland: "Let us work together for the salvation of souls."
43. Thérèse’s Letter No. 4 to Fr. Roulland, November 1, 1896.
44. Thérèse’s Letter No. 6 to Fr. Roulland, May 1897.
45. Thérèse’s Letter No. 3 to Fr. Roulland, July 30, 1896.
46. Fr. Roulland’s Letter No. 7 to Thérèse, April 29, 1897.
47. Fr. Roulland’s Letter No. 8 to Thérèse, September 13, 1897.
48. See Thérèse’s Letter No. 7 to Fr. Roulland, July 14, 1897: ""I will
ask the palm of martyrdom for you and I shall be near you, holding your hand, so that you
may hold up his glorious palm without effort, and then with joy we shall fly together into
the heavenly homeland (italics ours), surrounded by all the souls who will
be your conquest."
49. Thérèse’s Letter No. 4 to Fr. Roulland, November 1, 1896.
50. Thérèse’s Letter No. 6 to Fr. Roulland, May 9, 1897.
51. Thérèse’s Letter No. 7 to Fr. Roulland, July 14, 1897.
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