North European Carmelite Young Adults, Lisieux, June 2026
In early June, a group of around 40 young adults from the Carmelite Northern European provinces of UK, Ireland, France, Netherlands, Czech Republic and Poland gathered in Lisieux, France, an important pilgrimage site where St Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face spent her religious life. We were accompanied by Lay leaders and several Carmelite friars from across the region, who guided us through four intensive days with their expertise and experience, generously shared. We had time to get to know each other, listen to one another, share ideas and projects, build connections and new friendships, reflect and pray together. One question that stayed with me and from where I would like to start my reflection was ‘What happens when we go back to our daily lives? How do we keep the flame of faith burning?’.
Immediately after coming back from Lisieux, I had the opportunity to attend Adoration in my local parish, which happened to be an ideal end to the pilgrimage in Lisieux and a perfect start to getting back into daily life after days of meetings, reflections, prayer and sharing. As I was sitting in silence in front of the blessed sacrament, I could feel my heart filling with all the beautiful moments spent in Lisieux, following in the footsteps of St Thérèse. And with those memories came back that question: what now? How do I go from here, how do I incorporate and live what I experienced in Lisieux? More time for prayer in my daily routine. Allowing moments of silence and stillness. And most of all, keeping in mind and heart St Thérèse’s ‘little way’.
St Thérèse truly accompanied us through this journey, as we dived deeper and deeper into knowing her spirituality, knowing ourselves a bit more and getting to know each other. The numerous pictures of St Thérèse present at several locations in the city were a constant reminder of her purity, childlike simplicity coupled with courage and determination. To some this might sound like a paradox, but it is in this contrast of character that we learnt the true sainthood and specialness of Thérèse. Reaching confidence and spiritual maturity through a bold trust in God’s merciful love. This aspect of surrendering to God is something that touched me profoundly, especially during the Lectio Divina we shared on Sunday morning, reflecting on the Gospel of the day. ‘Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood will live forever’ (John, 6). What else do we seek and crave, when we know Jesus died for us to give us eternal life? ‘The only way that leads to love is the way of childlike trust and self-surrender, the way of a child that sleeps, afraid of nothing, safe in its father’s arms’ writes Thérèse. Those same arms of Jesus that carry us safely, and like an elevator lift us higher.
Thérèse’s imagery and words are disarmingly simple and relatable, yet her depth and determination are penetrating and keep resonating in me as I carry on with my daily life after the pilgrimage. The intensity of her inspiration was tangible during the last eucharistic celebration we shared on Monday evening, in the Hermitage Chapel. Thérèse worked quietly within us and among us and brought us together as a group. I could feel her at work even when we decided to take a stroll along a stream, immersed in nature, surrounded by trees and singing birds, a reminder that the beauty of Creation is a way of reaching God and giving praise for the gift of life.
One of the discussions we shared was around how we as young adults can spread the gifts of Carmel in the world. Living the Carmelite charism of prayer, community and service is not always easy in our busy lives as young adults, who are searching to recognise and discover our various paths and vocations, while keeping up with a frantic and ever-changing world. Therefore, I find myself going back to the initial question of how do we keep the flame of faith burning once we go back to our lives after the deep experience in Lisieux. Again, I find inspiration in Thérèse’s little and hidden way of putting love in the ordinary acts of our everyday lives. Small acts of love that do not show off, do not speak loud words, do not ask anything in return, like the small flame of a candle, which how Thérèse describes ‘from one faint spark it would be possible to set the whole world on fire. And yet, the humble little candle would remain the first cause of it all’.
Francesca Giorda
