Father Russell was born on July 19, 1934, in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. He professed simple vows as a Carmelite in 1954 and was ordained a priest on July 25, 1960. He was a teacher, spiritual director, prior general of the Order, and prolific writer. Father Russell published numerous books, articles, letters, homilies, and book reviews in a variety of publications. He also published several audio and video cassettes on Spirituality and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, as well as the novena booklet The Path to Spiritual Maturity: Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. In 2009 Father Russell received the papal Benemerenti Medal, awarded for long and exceptional service to the Catholic Church, its families and community.
The following articles by Fr. Russell about Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus are available online:
https://ocarm.org/en/item/1422
Obviously St. Thérèse was a prayerful woman. After all she gave herself to a life of prayer and self-emptying love in the Carmel of Lisieux in Normandy. The interesting question centers on how she prayed. She had learned the importance of prayer as a child from the example of her own parents and used to spend some time in the quiet of her room reflecting on the life of Jesus and on God's love for her.... continued
https://www.ocarm.org/en/item/1526
In 1997 Carmelites and many others will mark the centenary of the death of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, called by many ‘the Little Flower’ (30th September 1997). What draws people to this woman, this saint of the Church? Her story as told in her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, is engaging. She reveals so honestly her struggles in life and how she forged a meaning, a commitment that made a difference.... continued
https://ocarm.org/en/item/3360
What is the meaning of “the little way” of St. Thérèse? It is an image that tries to capture her understanding of being a disciple of Jesus Christ, of seeking holiness of life in the ordinary and the everyday. St. Thérèse based her little way on two fundamental convictions: 1. God shows love by mercy and forgiveness and 2. She could not be perfect in following the Lord.... continued
https://www.ocarm.org/en/item/2628
The cross enters everyone's life and we notice in today’s Gospel reading that the cross is a daily event. For St. Thérèse the cross was experienced in the delay she had to endure before her entrance into the Carmel of Lisieux. She would encounter more crosses in her brief life, e.g., physical illness and temptations regarding the existence of heaven.... continued
http://web.archive.org/web/19991118033304/carmelnet.org/sword/v58/09.htm
St. Thérèse of Lisieux has come to us through her own autobiography entitled The Story of A Soul. This work has been translated into fifty languages and dialects and has touched the hearts of millions of people. To this day, people are attracted to St. Thérèse’s way of handling life in the ordinary and the everyday. She has described the journey of faith, holiness of life, in images and teaching that feed the understanding and the desire of working people, of mothers and fathers, of young and old alike.... continued
...are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Psalm 119:103
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