The significance of Zelie and Louis Martin, mother and father of St. Therese of Lisieux, today


"Blessed Zelie and Louis Martin, Companions on our Journey"
by Maureen O'Riordan

To read this short article, click here.

Talking Points

  • Fully engaged in business, social, family, and ecclesial life, Louis and Zelie were constantly oriented to eternity.
  • Overwhelmed with responsibilities, each was faithful to the contemplative life, the family life of prayer, and the liturgical life of the Church, and they created a family similarly faithful.
  • Surrounding their daughters with love, tenderness, and good times, the parents formed each carefully from childhood in the spiritual life.
  • Devoted to each other and to their children, Zelie and Louis reached out lovingly to support their extended families at a personal sacrifice.
  • Suffering acute grief in many trials, they continued to trust in God's love for them.
  • While supporting a large family, they gave generously of their energy and money to the poor, to the Church, and to causing charity and justice in their society.
  • After leading heroic lives, Louis and Zelie surrendered themselves to long and painful illnesses and, in Zelie's case, to a premature death.

You may reproduce these talking points and this article for non-commercial purposes.  Please credit the author, Maureen O'Riordan, and this Web site, thereseoflisieux.org.  September 28, 2008. 

 

Zelie and Louis Martin, Mother and Father
of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus of the Holy Face
by Father Antonio Maria Sicari, O.C.D.

To read this excellent article, appearing here in English for the first time,
click here.

 

Reflection on Blessed Zelie and Louis Martin in the Philippines:
November 2008 Lecture Series: "Louis and Zelie as Modern Parents"

To see the souvenir program, click here.