In 1887, Therese of Lisieux met with Pope Leo XIII, shown in this 1898 photo. When she asked him for permission to join the Carmel convent at age 15, he told her to follow the direction of the superiors.
Three days after the journey to see the Bishop of Bayeux, Therese started the journey to Rome with her father Louis, her sister Celine, and a group of pilgrims.
The journey began Nov. 4, 1887. They went to Paris, and Therese’s favorite place there was the shrine of Our Lady of Victories. She knew that it was really Our Lady who had smiled on her and cured her when she was 10.
On their way into Italy they passed through Switzerland. For Therese, the beautiful scenery of nature was a foretaste of the wonders of heaven, reminding her of the greatness and majesty of God.
The pilgrims went to Milan, Venice, Padua, Bologna, and Loreto. Therese was happy to visit the Holy House at Loreto, which legend says is the house the Holy Family lived in, transported from Nazareth by angels during the Crusades. She wrote, “I was overwhelmed with emotion when I realized that I was under the very roof that had sheltered the Holy Family.” Therese and Celine attended Mass at the Holy House and had the great joy of receiving Holy Communion.
The highlight of the pilgrimage was Rome. They went to the Coliseum, where Therese and Celine rushed toward the arena to a particular stone marked with a cross. It was the place where the martyrs had fought the good fight. The two girls knelt down and prayed.
From the Coliseum they went to the Catacombs, and there Therese and Céline laid themselves down in what had once been the tomb of St. Cecilia, taking some of the earth sanctified by her holy remains. Therese felt greater devotion and love towards St. Cecilia and she became Therese’s chosen patroness.
On the seventh day in Rome, the pilgrims had an audience with Pope Leo XIII. Since Therese hadn’t heard from the bishop regarding her request to enter Carmel, she decided to ask the Holy Father’s permission.
It was Sunday, Nov. 20 and the pilgrims attended the Mass celebrated by the Holy Father at his private chapel. A Mass of thanksgiving followed, and then the audience began. During the audience pilgrims were not supposed to talk to the Pope. But when it was Therese's turn, she pleaded: “Holy Father, I have a great favour to ask you.” At once Holy Father bent toward Therese. She continued: “Holy Father, in honor of your jubilee, will you allow me to enter the Carmel when I am 15?”
The vicar-general explained to the Pope: “Holy Father, this is a child who desires to become a Carmelite, but the superiors of the Carmel are looking into the matter.” Pope Leo XIII said, “Well, my child, do whatever the superiors decide.”
Therese said, “Holy Father, if only you say ‘yes,’ everyone else would agree.” Leo XIII looked at her fixedly and said clearly and emphatically: “Well, well! You will enter if it is God’s will.” The Vatican guards motioned to her and, as she paid little attention, they came forward to lift her up. The Holy Father blessed her, and she left the audience in tears.
Therese wrote, “This trial was indeed a heavy one, but I must admit that in spite of my tears I felt a deep inward peace, for I had made every effort in my power to respond to the appeal of my Divine Master.”
One comfort for Therese was that Father Révérony, the vicar-general of Bayeux, promised her that he would do all in his power to realize her desire of entering Carmel at 15.
After Rome, the pilgrims visited Naples, Pompeii, Assisi, Florence, Pisa, and Genoa, staying at high-quality and comfortable hotels. However, Therese's heart was set on Carmel and she felt strongly that riches do not make happiness.
小德蘭晉謁教宗
小德蘭在覲見貝葉主教的旅程後三天，便和父親類斯及姐姐席琳隨朝聖團到羅馬朝聖。
1887年11月4日，他們先去巴黎。那裡小德蘭最喜愛的地方，是勝利之后聖堂，在那裡她清楚肯定在十歲時，是聖母向她微笑，並治癒了她。
轉到意大利途中，他到了瑞士；那裡的美麗風光，小德蘭淺嚐了天國的莊麗，提醒了她天主偉大的尊威。
朝聖團到過米蘭、威尼斯、帕都亞、博洛尼亞和洛雷托。小德蘭很喜歡洛雷托的聖屋；她寫道：「我身處曾為聖家的屋簷下，當時整個人感到激動。」小德蘭與姐姐席琳在這裡參與了彌撒，且領了聖體，十分雀躍。
朝聖的焦點是羅馬。抵達鬥獸場時，小德蘭偕同席琳姐姐跑到競技場內，特別欣賞一塊刻上了十字的石頭 ── 當年致命的勇者就此打了漂亮的仗 ── 姐妹二人跪下來祈禱。之後，一行人到地下墓穴。小德蘭和席琳在曾為聖則濟利亞的墓穴躺下來，取了一小掇被聖女遺骸祝聖過的泥土。小德蘭因而更熱敬聖則濟利亞，並邀請她作自己的主保。
在羅馬的第七天，朝聖團晉謁教宗良十三世。既然尚未從貝葉主教得到任何消息，小德蘭決定向教宗請求批准她進入加爾默羅修會。
11月20日、星期日，朝聖團參與了教宗在私人小堂主持的感恩彌撒，在接着的一台的謝恩彌撒後，教宗接見眾人開始，而規定上是不許與教宗交談。但小德蘭乘靠近時，開聲向教宗請求：「聖父，我有一個請求。」見教宗俯身傾前向著她，小德蘭接著說：「聖父，藉你的金禧紀念，你可否批准我在十五歲時，進入加爾默羅修會？」在旁同行的副主教向教宗解釋說：「聖父，這小孩想加入加爾默羅修會；修會長上們已在處理這申請。」小德蘭急忙補充說：「聖父，只要你批准，任何人都要遵從啊！」教宗良十三世注視她，簡單直接給她答覆：「別急！別急！假如是天主聖意，你會加入加爾默羅修會的。」禦林軍上前把小德蘭扶起時，教宗祝福了她，她滿眶淚水。
小德蘭記載著：「這是一次很嚴竣的考驗，但我該承認，雖然我流了淚水，內心又是平靜無比，因為我已竭盡所能，遵隨我主的召叫。」
小德蘭較感安慰的，是貝葉副主教答應過她，會盡他所能幫助她達成十五歲時進入加爾默羅修會的意願。
離開羅馬，朝聖團參觀了尼波里、龐貝、西西里、佛羅倫斯、比薩和熱諾亞；他們入住舒適豪華的酒店。但小德蘭的心，完全想著加爾默羅修會，她也深深體會到世上的奢華，不能帶給她快樂。