Sister Stanislaus Kelly, the first connection from the United States to Lisieux

Sister Stanislaus, of the discalced Carmelites of Philadelphia, introduced the life of the Little Flower to me about twenty-three years ago. It was written in French. Afterwards she showed me a record of some of her miracles. Then I began to preach about her twenty-one years ago, off and on, and for the last fifteen years every Sunday afternoon. The preaching made a demand for more knowledge of her; and our Carmel distributed thousands upon thousands of pictures, pamphlets and relics. There followed a call for these from all over the country and our Carmel supplied this new demand for every State in the Union.

Philadelphia’s Carmel stood alone in this work of spreading devotion to Little Theresa, all over the United States; and Philadelphia was the first city to recognize with our Carmel the glorious virtues and power of the Little Flower.

I am therefore only too glad to write an introduction for the first book on Little Theresa that has been written in Philadelphia, the birthplace of devotion to the Little Flower in this country, now aglow with love for this Little Saint.

My friend, Father Stepanian, has asked me if I think he has caught the spirit of St. Theresa as expressed in the extracts from her life and letters, that he has put into his little book.

I can truly say that I think he has caught her spirit. He has done what he set out to accomplish, to impart her spirit in a reading of an hour to those who have neither time nor inclination to study the complete Autobiography.

The beauty of this book is that it recounts the inner life of Little Theresa in her own words and in a simple order that can be quickly seen and relished.

Here we have religion in action taken from a life in our own times; here in this book is love at its highest and best, Little Theresa’s love for God and souls.”

REV. JOHN J. MOORE,
Chaplain of Mt. Carmel Convent, Phila., Pa.
Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, July 16, 1927.

The Introduction from
A Bouquet of Roses
by Rev. Stephen Stepanian
Published by Rev. Stephen Stepanian
140 North Robinson Street, PhIladelphia, Pa.
(copyright 1927)

 (Fr. Moore was the first Chaplain of the Carmel of Philadelphia at the time of its foundation in 1902 and remained in that capacity until his death in 1928, the year after writing the above Introduction.)