Statue of St. Therese of Lisieux - France, 1930 Dimensions: 30 x 8.5 x 8.5 cm. Signed Fr. M. Bernard The most popular depiction of Thérèse of the Child Jesus is the statue of the saint holding the crucifix and roses on her chest. The author of the statue was a young Cistercian monk and priest who became, as he himself wrote, "Thérèse's sculptor". His religious name was Father Marie-Bernard (born Louis Richomme), of the Trappist monastery of Soligny, not far from Lisieux. In 1917 the Abbot of Soligny visited the Carmelites of Lisieux and received a request from Mother Agnes of Jesus (Pauline, Thérèse's sister) for a recommendation on finding a sculptor who could make statues of Thérèse. Thus the abbot put her in touch with the young Trappist brother, Father Marie-Bernard. From 1917 onwards, then, Father Marie-Bernard had the opportunity to rediscover Thérèse and through her writings, he immersed himself deeply in the spirituality of the Saint of Lisieux, and then he began his "mission": Thérèse, from heaven, was preparing for him to help her spread the message of evangelical childhood. He was full of joy at the task he had received to make Thérèse known and loved. He felt that it was a grace and an honour that repaid him greatly for his work and effort, so much so that he wrote: 'being Thérèse's sculptor seems to me such a great grace that I will never believe that my success came at too high a price'. He had "his" own way of representing Thérèse in face and spirit, he was not a mercenary, but a disciple of the Saint, and thanks to her and with her he was more and more a disciple of Jesus and the Gospel. Pictures are an integral part of this description.