Manuscripts

On September 30, 1898 (actually October 10 according to the notes of the Trial), Mother Agnès de Jesus and Mother Marie de Gonzague, prioress in office, published an exceptionally long obituary circular (476 pages!) Sent to all Carmels. French. Mother Agnes is preparing a brochure bringing together several writings including the two notebooks of memories written by Thérèse, a few poems and other writings that she will call History of a Soul, instead of this circular. In fact, Mother Agnès had gathered the manuscripts of her little sister (later called them A, B and C) written by "obedience", corrected the spelling errors (frequent), made connections, deleted some passages, divided all in chapters.

Of the three recipients, only one remained: Mother Marie de Gonzague. According to the demand of this one, one had supplemented by Teresian poems and some letters. Carmel feared a slump in this book, financed half-heartedly by the generous uncle Guérin. To everyone's surprise, a second edition was needed six months later (4) and soon a third… It was an explosion. Until 000 there were 1956 editions, not to mention the translations started in 40. More than 1901 have been identified, a figure that is still out of date and uncontrollable, because pirate editions have multiplied.

This book has been an instrument of conversion, of various healings, in all places of the planet. It was he who urged the fervent pilgrims to come and pray to the “little saint”, as they say, at her grave in the cemetery of Lisieux. Soon a rural warden will protect this place from pious degradation.

It was not until 1956, after the death of Mother Agnes, who had practically rewritten the texts of her sister, that, Pius XII having ordered a return to the originals, the three autobiographical manuscripts were published.

The critical edition - collotype - carried out by Father Carmelite François de Sainte Marie (died in 1961) with a team of Carmelites from Lisieux, was a considerable event. Therese came out "stripped", not watered down, well herself.

From 1969, a team took over and continued the critical edition of the 266 letters found, 54 poems (1979), 8 plays (1985), 21 prayers (1988) and the Last Interviews (1971) .

This work (1969 - 1988), which received the Grand Prix Cardinal Grente from the French Academy in 1989, was finally to lead to the New Centenary Edition, in eight volumes (Cerf DDB).

The work gathered in a single volume "Complete Works" (Cerf - DDB) is 1600 pages on bible paper. The set was offered on February 18, 1993 to John Paul II and Cardinal Ratzinger.