All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

Episode: St. Thérèse & Trauma: The Real Story of Her Soul (Part 1)
Date: September 23, 2025
Host: Dr. Edward Sri

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Edward Sri uncovers the often-overlooked, deeply human side of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Rather than focusing merely on the sentimental symbols (like flowers and “the little way”) which many associate with the saint, Dr. Sri invites listeners to explore the trauma, anxieties, and family struggles that shaped Thérèse’s spiritual journey. This deeper understanding, he argues, makes her “little way” not just accessible, but profoundly relevant for Catholics experiencing their own wounds and interior challenges.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Moving Beyond the “Plastic Statue” St. Thérèse

• Dr. Sri recalls his early impression of St. Thérèse as little more than a gentle, smiling figure holding flowers—an image common in Catholic schools and churches.
• He challenges this shallow “plastic statue” view:

  “That’s not bad, but it’s not the full story, and it doesn’t capture her full humanity and how God met her in her humanness and did amazing things in it.” (02:00)

2. The Real Suffering of St. Thérèse: Childhood Trauma

• Many know about Thérèse’s “little way” and her heroic love, but Dr. Sri stresses how few recognize her suffering, especially in childhood:

  “Do you know about her family trauma and her upbringing?” (04:56)

• He differentiates between the trauma suffered in Therese’s final illness—well-known among Catholics—and the wounds from her earliest years.

3. Saints Are Not Plastic—Including Thérèse’s Parents

• St. Thérèse’s parents, Zelie and Louis Martin, were canonized saints, but, as Sri points out, "the saints were human. They weren't always perfect."
• Quoting Pope Benedict, he notes that saints fought, made mistakes, “weren’t always perfect”—but grew through reliance on God’s mercy.

4. Making It Personal: The Wounds Many Share

• Dr. Sri asks listeners to reflect on their own emotional struggles—anxiety, worries, hypersensitivity, perfectionism, fear of failure, scruples, and shame (10:30).
• He reassures:

  “If you ever have any of these things, I want you to know you’re in good company. Because many of the saints experienced those same things. We can see this especially in the life of the great St. Thérèse.” (11:35)

5. The Context of Holiness: Dr. Sri’s Pilgrimage to Lisieux

• Dr. Sri shares insights gleaned from pilgrimage and from Mark Foley’s book The Context of Holiness, which delves into Thérèse’s early trauma and psychological wounds.
• He asserts that Thérèse’s story is one of hope:

  “Jesus came and met them [the saints] in those struggles and brought great healing and sanctification and interior freedom.” (15:47)

6. Trauma and Attachment: Early Life of Thérèse

a. Multiple Early Separations

• At three months, baby Thérèse was sent to a wet nurse due to her mother’s health issues, marking her first traumatic separation.
• She bonded with her wet nurse more than with her own mother.

b. Attachment Struggles

• On returning home at 15 months, Thérèse experienced separation anxiety and clung to her mother, feeling deeply unsettled and insecure.

  “…there wasn’t an attachment between Therese and her mom. There wasn’t a secure attachment.” (21:08)

c. The Lingering Effects

• Dr. Sri references modern psychology to show how early separations affect people subconsciously even decades later.

d. The Emotional Climate

• Zelie Martin herself suffered a troubled childhood, loss, and extraordinary bereavement—losing eight close family members, including four of her own children, in only 17 years.
• This contributed to her deep anxiety, especially over Thérèse’s health.

  “I have no rest day or night. I fear losing her.” —Zelie Martin, as quoted by Dr. Sri (30:35)

e. Family Challenges

• Coping with a special-needs daughter (Leonie) who had emotional outbursts, running a lace business, and Zelie’s own terminal illness created a stressful, unstable home environment.

7. A Telling Memory: The Sugar Rings

• Dr. Sri tells a revealing story Thérèse herself recounts about feeling emotionally ignored by her mother after losing a piece of candy—evidence of the insecure attachment dynamic.

“Mama seemed to pay no attention to me. This was too much for me... I was unable to understand why she did not share my pain, and this only increased my grief.” —St. Therese, as quoted by Dr. Sri (41:25)

8. Period of Healing: The Move to Lisieux

• After Zelie’s death (when Thérèse was 4 ½), the family moved to “Les Buissonnets.”
• This quieter, more stable environment and the strong bond with her father provided Thérèse with warmth and a temporary sense of security.
• She called her father “my king,” and he called her “his little queen.” (51:49)

9. Looming Darkness and Cliffhanger for Part 2

• Dr. Sri notes that soon after this healing season, two new traumatic events struck, leading to a physical and psychological crisis in Thérèse’s life (headaches, rash, fever, depression).
• The episode ends with a teaser: the full story of her suffering and her spiritual transformation will be continued in the next episode.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When the church canonizes a saint, it doesn’t canonize every single thing that saint ever said or ever did. So we have to look at the full story.” — Dr. Edward Sri (06:00)

• “She was someone that truly learned to rely on God and to find God not in spite of her weaknesses and struggles, but precisely in the middle of them.” — Dr. Edward Sri (09:22)

• “If you ever have any of these things, I want you to know you’re in good company. Because many of the saints experienced those same things. We can see this especially in the life of the great St. Thérèse.” — Dr. Edward Sri (11:35)

• “There are many situations in life that trigger the deep seated fears of childhood. … Our childhood wounds are not obstacles to our spiritual growth, but are, in some mysterious manner, the path on which we find our way back to God.” — Mark Foley, quoted by Dr. Sri (1:01:30)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–02:20 — Introduction: The “plastic statue” St. Thérèse
• 02:20–06:30 — Superficial versus deeper understanding of saints
• 10:30–12:30 — Listeners’ own wounds and struggles: their connection to the saints
• 13:10–16:14 — The hope of Jesus meeting us in our struggles
• 18:00–26:30 — Early trauma: Thérèse’s separation from her mother and lack of secure attachment
• 30:00–34:40 — Zelie’s losses and chronic anxiety: the atmosphere in Therese’s home
• 41:25–44:00 — The sugar rings story: evidence of emotional disconnect
• 50:30–53:20 — Period of healing: Les Buissonnets, father-daughter bond
• 54:00–1:00:00 — Ominous foreshadowing: upcoming trauma and breakdown
• 1:01:00–1:02:30 — Concluding reflection and preview of Part 2

Tone and Style

Dr. Sri’s style throughout is warm, conversational, and deeply empathetic. He mixes personal anecdotes, accessible psychological concepts, quotations from saints and scholars, and direct appeals to the listener. The episode is both intellectually engaging and pastorally encouraging, emphasizing hope, growth, and the importance of bringing one's wounds to God.

Summary Takeaway

St. Thérèse’s “little way” is not a diminutive or shallow path of sanctity—it arose precisely from her wounds, her psychological and emotional hardships, and her journey of allowing God to meet her in her brokenness. Her story is not just about sweetness and flowers, but about healing, perseverance, and hope for all wounded souls. Next week’s episode promises to unpack how these wounds led to her spiritual breakthrough and can inspire listeners in their own struggles.