The church's domed 1951 building was constructed in Spanish Renaissance style, in keeping with the Mediterranean Revival architecture for which Coral Gables is noted.

Bishop Patrick J. Barry of St. Augustine – the diocese that included Coral Gables at that time – announced that the new parish would be named in honor of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, known as "The Little Flower".

[3] Like Coral Gables itself, the church was built by well-to-do Americans; for most of the 20th century, members were predominantly Irish-American, politically liberal, and supporters of the Democratic Party.

"[6] In 1990 a rift developed between the parish priest, Father Kenneth Whittaker, a former Lutheran who had converted to Catholicism, and parishioners who did not attend church regularly.

Father Whittaker enforced new rules, including expelling children from the parish's socially and academically prestigious school if their parents failed to attend Mass regularly and on time.

The issue escalated, with angry parishioners picketing the church and Father Whittaker refusing to confirm or give First Communion to children whose parents were lax in attending Mass.

[6] According to historian Caterine, the 1991 arrival of the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles sparked an intense revival of both Cuban identity and Catholic commitment among the members.

[11] Previously, Andy Gomez, a retired Professor of Cuban Studies at the University of Miami and a member of the parish council, called Little Flower "the only Catholic church that has two presidential candidates.