Pope Pius XI died just months before the start of World War II, on February 10, 1939, after a papacy that lasted almost exactly 17 years. He had been elected February 6, 1922, and became the first sovereign of Vatican City State, when it was created in '29.
His papacy is associated with a number of memorable things, including writing a social encyclical on the 40th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum, and establishing the feast of Christ the King. It was in excavating for his tomb that bones of St. Peter were found.
But perhaps his act that most influenced the Church in the coming decades was performed on May 17, 1925: the canonization of the little Carmelite from France who would become the only Doctor of the Church named by John Paul II (in 1997), Thérèse of Lisieux.
In fact, Pius XI called her the star of his pontificate.
Here are some elements to help us consider the legacy of St. Thérèse
1The Little Way combatted a heresy of her time
2Following her footsteps
3Pope Francis' devotion to her
4Virtues she inspires
5Things she teaches us
All of these articles are only a very small selection from our ample archives. To find more inspiration from St. Thérèse and many little-known stories, check here.
