September 30, 2004
Story of 'extraordinary soul'
brought to screen in 'Therese'
By Linda Thomas
A spiritual way of life that began 800 years ago on a mountain top in Israel continues in Western Washington today and is featured in a new movie about one of the most popular saints in Catholic history — St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
The Carmelite religious order traces its origins to a community of hermits living on Mount Carmel in the 12th century. Then, as now, Carmelite friars and sisters filled their days with prayer and contemplation.
"It is a work of the heart that God calls me to do," said Sister Sean with the Order of Discalced Carmelites.
Discalced literally means without shoes. Although most members today wear shoes, they maintain an austere lifestyle. Sister Sean lives in a community of 11 nuns at St. Joseph's Carmelite Monastery in Shoreline, just north of Seattle. The youngest Carmelite there is 38, while the oldest is 104.
"You might think we don't have freedom because we're enclosed behind locked doors in the monastery, but it's a paradox," Sister Sean explained. "Because we have protection around us, it leaves our hearts free to engage in all kinds of prayer without a lot of distraction."
The nuns spend at least seven hours of the day in prayer and meditation. Some pray for people who call the monastery asking for help with specific problems. Others pray for peace, or to end poverty and injustice around the world.
"Everyone prays differently," said Sister Michael Marie. She is the prioress, or head, of the Carmelite monastery in Shoreline.
"There is no limit to what you can do with prayer," Sister Michael Marie said. "You can only do so much on your own, but with prayer all things are possible. In that respect, Carmelites today are the same as the Carmelites of St. Thérèse's time."
The film "Thérèse" tells the story of a young French nun whom several popes have called the greatest saint of modern times. The movie opened in theaters nationwide September 30, on the 107th anniversary of her death.
"I was driven to proclaim the story of St. Thérèse because she was an ordinary person in the world's eyes, but she had an extraordinary soul," said Leonardo Defilippis, the movie's director.
Defilippis has been creating Catholic stage plays and video productions for 20 years through his Beaverton, Oregon based company St. Luke Productions. The motion picture "Thérèse" marks a number of "firsts" for Luke Films, a new division of the company. Defilippis is making his debut as a motion picture director and the movie is the first in history to be financed entirely through donations that run into the millions.
"The result is a film that was truly made by thousands of people who have a love and devotion for Thérèse," Defilippis said. "The movie is a story of tragedy, struggle, and divine love."
Tragedy came early in St. Thérèse's life. When she was four years old her mother died. Thérèse entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux, France at the age of 15 and died from tuberculosis nine years later. She was declared a saint in 1925. More recently, in 1997, Pope John Paul II chose her to be the youngest Doctor of the Church for the spiritual ideas she contributed to Catholicism.
Much of what we know about St. Thérèse's spiritual beliefs came from her autobiography, "The Story of a Soul." The book has been translated into 66 languages and has sold more than 100 million copies.
"St. Thérèse has a message that really cuts deep into the heart," said Father Charles Garrity, OCD. Father Garrity is the Superior and Director of the Carmelite Institute of Spirituality in Stanwood.
"St. Thérèse taught us that ordinary people can be holy," Father Garrity said. "She became a mirror of God's love and mercy reflecting back that beauty in little ways through small daily sacrifices instead of great deeds."
St. Thérèse is known as the saint who promised to spend her days in Heaven doing good upon the earth. She wrote, "After death I will let fall a shower of roses."
During the production of "Thérèse" the director said he felt some of St. Thérèse's roses, or favors, from Heaven.
"There were times when the film crew needed to eat, but we'd have nothing," Defilippis said. "Suddenly a restaurant would send us a truck loaded with food." That happened several times as the movie was filmed in France, Rome and Oregon. "It was miraculous," he said.
The website for the movie "Thérèse" is www.theresemovie.com.
In Western Washington, "Thérèse" is showing through Oct. 7 at the at Regal Crossroads 8 Cinema in Bellevue (425) 562-6596; and, the Regal City Center 12 in Vancouver (360) 735-1223. n