Requirements

Mother Maria Luisa Josefa, known as Mother Luisita, Foundress of the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, established Little Flower in 1929. In the year 2003, His Holiness Pope John Paul II declared her “Venerable” and raised her to the second of four stages on the way to sainthood.

Mother Luisita placed this new foundation, which was within the boundaries of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, under the patronage of St. Therese of Lisieux, a recently canonized Carmelite nun who called herself the “Little Flower of Jesus.” The sisters occupied the convent on August 29, 1929. Here the sisters cared for orphan girls at the request of the Catholic Welfare Bureau.

In 1943 it became necessary for the sisters to find a new location for their convent. Sister Margarita Maria found a house in Lincoln Heights located at 2434 Gates Street near Sacred Heart Parish. Once again, the sisters placed this house under the patronage of St. Therese and named the new foundation in her honor, "Little Flower Missionary House."

Forty resident students were accommodated in this new house. Most of these young girls, of elementary school age, were from broken homes. They attended schools in the area until the sisters were able to open their own grade school. In 1954 the resident program was discontinued due to the social service system preferred to place the girls in foster families. It was at this time that a new complex with a chapel, dining room, and other facilities was built, and we continued as a pre-school and kindergarten.

In 1970, Little Flower became a licensed Child Care Center for children from 2 to 6 years of age. Our present capacity is 135 children.