Cebu Doctors’ University

College of Nursing
1 Dr. P. V. Larrazabal Jr. Avenue, North Reclamation, 6014 Mandaue City, Cebu,

Philippines Tel. No. +63 (32) 238-8746 Web: www.cebudoctorsuniversity.edu E-mail: cdu-
cn@cebudoctorsuniversity.edu

N11 B: Spirituality in Nursing II

Individual Worksheet

St. Therese of the Child Jesus

St. Therese was a prominent doctor of the church. She is the patron saint of missionaries, Aid
sufferers, florist and sick. Here are the salient points of her life:

1. Story of a Soul was published and became a best-seller around the world. Her books
explained her spiritual path of love and selflessness, and she became one of only three
females to be considered a doctor of the Catholic Church.

2. Christmas Eve 1884, she recounts having a remarkable conversion of spirit. She says
she lost her inclination to please herself with her own desires. Instead, she felt a
burning desire to pray for the souls of others and forget herself. She says that on this
day, she lost her childhood immaturity and felt a very strong calling to enter the
convent at the unprecedented early age of fifteen.

3. Church authorities refused to allow a girl, who was so young to enter holy orders. They
advised her to come back when she was 21 and “grown up”. However Therese’s mind
was made up, she couldn’t bear to wait; she felt God was calling her to enter the
cloistered life. Therese was so determined she travelled to the Vatican to personally
petition the Pope.

4. St. Therese sought always to respond to criticism and gossip with the attitude of love.
No matter what others said, Therese responded by denying her sense of ego.
Eventually, the nun who had criticized Therese so much said. “Why do you always
smile at me, Why are you always so kind, even when I treat you badly?”

5. She was able to achieve her intuitive feeling that she would be able to do something
great and help save souls.
 Truly St. Therese serve as a role model to all nurses, it shows that despite of the
challenges, obstacles, and degradation, She was still firm and did not let other people bring
her down. Being optimistic shows the true characteristic of a nurse, in point 4, even though
people or patients treat us badly, in return we need to be kind and would still help those who
are in need. In the end I would like to share my favorite line from her saying “Each time that
my enemy would provoke me to fight I behave like a brave soldier. I know that a duel is an
act of cowardice, and so, without once looking him in the face, I turn my back on the foe,
hasten to my Saviour, and vow that I am ready to shed my blood in witness of my belief in
Heaven.” We must be watchful to our fellowmen for when we are in the service of other
people we are in the service of God.

Submitted by:

Perez, Jamie Angelo S.

Level II Learner