by Patrick Ahern

Led by, Susan Brinkmann, OCDS

Monday evenings:

September 9, 16, 23, 30, October 7, 14, 21, and 28

7:30 - 8:30 PM ET

This book study will be based on the book, "Maurice & Therese: The Story of a Love," by Patrick Ahern. Book study sessions will be led by Susan Brinkmann and consist of assigned reading material, study questions, and participant discussion. Assignments, study questions, and points for discussion will be provided via email every week!

- 8 weeks, Monday evenings

- Online Instruction and Discussion

- Study Questions

-Book must be purchased separately

Join Us!

Call 1-800-558-5452 for more information

Through the letters St. Therese shared with the humble seminarian, Maurice Belliere, you will:

...discover the “new mysticism” in Therese’s Little Way of Spiritual childhood.

...understand how to use your weaknesses to form a deeper and more trusting relationship with God.

...learn how to “sail the stormy sea of life” with the abandonment and love of a child.

...discover Therese’s “theology of suffering” as she walks through the final days of her life.

...learn why Therese taught that “confidence works miracles.”

...explore ways to use the humiliation of past sins to your benefit.

...learn how to not only accept yourself for who you are, but how to want to be who you are.

Book Study Resource

Maurice & Therese: The Story of a Love

by Patrick Ahern

As Saint Therese lay dying in the Carmel of Lisieux, she overheard a conversation that amused her. Outside her window, two nuns were discussing what they could write in her obituary that could possibly be of any interest, since the twenty-four-year-old nun had never done anything worth noting. Therese was pleased, for she had always kept a low profile. With the posthumous publication of her spiritual autobiography in 1898, however, that low profile would vanish instantly. She became one of the most beloved saints of all time, and her influence will expand dramatically because of Pope John Paul II's declaration that she is a Doctor of the Church.

Amid growing interest in her writings comes the collected correspondence between her and a humble young seminarian, Maurice Belliere. Though they never met in person, they exchanged twenty-one letters that opened a window on the heart of Saint Therese that would have remained forever closed had Maurice not written to the Mother Superior at the convent asking for a nun to pray for him. The Mother Superior chose Therese, and in these conversational letters the Little Flower reveals herself in a way that we would never have known from her autobiography.

In his accompanying text, Bishop Patrick Ahern expertly leads the reader into the worlds of Maurice and Therese and reveals the full beauty of this saint's spirituality.

Purchase the Book

Book Study Leader:

Susan Brinkmann, OCDS, is an author and award-winning journalist who is a member of the Third Order of Discalced Carmelites. She serves as the Director of Communications and New Age Research for Women of Grace® and is a frequent guest on EWTN's Women of Grace® television show. Susan formerly worked as a Correspondent for the Catholic Standard & Times, the newspaper for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. For the last 10 years she has been the lead researcher for Women of Grace’s New Age Q&A Blog which is the largest blog of its kind in the world. The library of information now exceeds 1200 entries on everything from acupuncture and angels to wicca and yoga. She has also authored eleven books, including the Learn to Discern Compendium: Is it Christian or New Age, and her latest book, Day by Day in the Little Way: 365 reflections on the Teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux. Along with Johnnette Williams, she co-authored the Young Women of Grace Study Program which teaches girls ages 13+ about what it means to be authentically feminine. The Catholic Guide to Mindfulness, was published by Avila Institute, and her Like a Catholic series, which has imprimaturs from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was published by the Catholic Life Institute Press. Her national journalism awards include the Bernadine-O'Connor Award for Pro-Life Journalism, the Eileen Egan Journalism Award from Catholic Relief Services, and numerous awards from the Catholic Press Association and the Philadelphia Press Association.

Call 1-800-558-5452 for more information