Lisieux is a remarkable town, known for being the home of a young woman who grew up there, entered a Carmelite monastery near the town center, and passed away in 1897 at the age of twenty-four. Her name was Thérèse Martin, later known as Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus after taking her vows. Twenty-eight years after her death, she was canonized and became one of the most popular saints in the history of Catholicism. In a small museum beside the monastery, a display features Thérèse’s long blonde ringlets, which were cut off when she received the Carmelite habit. The hair of young women entering the monastery was traditionally cut as a symbol of their renunciation of worldly vanity. Often, this hair was repurposed into wigs used for plays performed during times of recreation.
