To mark the 10th anniversary of the canonization of Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Therese of Lisieux’s parents, Pope Leo XIV sends a message to Bishop Bruno Feillet of the Diocese of Séez (France), and highlights the couple as an example for Christian families.
By Isabella H. de Carvalho
Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin are the “model of a couple” that the Church presents to young people and families in today’s “confused times”, Pope Leo XIV wrote in a message in French released on Saturday for the 10th anniversary of the canonization of St. Therese of Lisieux’s parents.
“In these troubled and confused times, when so many counter-models of unions — often fleeting, individualistic, and selfish, bearing bitter and disappointing fruits — are presented to the youth, the family as the Creator intended it might seem outdated and boring”, he highlighted.
“Louis and Zélie Martin testify that this is not the case: they were happy—deeply happy!— in giving their life, radiating and transmitting the faith, and in seeing their daughters grow and flourish under the gaze of the Lord”.
The message was signed on October 1, the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux, and is addressed to Bishop Bruno Feillet of the Diocese of Séez, where the hometown of the Martin family, Alençon, is located. Sts. Louis and Zélie, canonized in 2015 by Pope Francis, were the first married couple to be recognized as saints together by the Church.
The Pope expressed the hope “that this anniversary will be an opportunity to raise awareness of the life and merits of this incomparable couple and parents” so that families – “so dear to God’s heart but also sometimes so fragile and tested” – may find in the Martins “the support and graces necessary to continue on their journey”.
A model for young people and families
Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin are “a radiant and inspiring model” that “the Holy Church presents to young people who wish — perhaps with some hesitation — to embark on such a beautiful adventure”, the Pope highlights.
St. Therese of Lisieux’s parents are an example “of fidelity and attentiveness to one another”, “of fervor and perseverance in faith”, “of Christian education of children”, “of generosity in the practice of charity and social justice” and “of trust in times of trial”. But above all, Pope Leo writes, “this exemplary couple bears witness to the ineffable happiness and deep joy that God grants”, especially “to those who commit themselves to this path of faithfulness and fruitfulness”.
He underscores in this regard some aspects of the Martin family’s daily life, such as gathering “on Sundays after Mass around the table”, “sharing in each person’s joys, sorrows, plans, and hopes” or getting together for “moments of shared prayer” or “family events that mark the passage of time”. The Pope points out as well “the comfort” of being “together in times of trial, united with the Cross of Christ when it appears” and with the “hope to one day be reunited in the glory of heaven”.
An example of ordinary sainthood
Pope Leo XIV emphasizes how Sts. Louis and Zélie did not put into action “their desire to become saints and educate their children in holiness by withdrawing from the world”, but rather they fulfilled this duty through “the ordinary course of everyday life”. Citing an expression coined by his predecessor, Pope Francis, Pope Leo explained how these parents “are part of that immense crowd of saints next door”.
The pilgrims who will visit Alençon to mark the 10th anniversary of the canonization will “grasp the concrete, everyday setting in which the Martins lived” and their commitment to the society around them “through their parish, their professional activities, their charitable works, their circles of friends, and, of course, their family life”, the Pope insists.
He, in fact, adds that this family’s “seemingly ‘ordinary’ life was filled with a truly ‘extraordinary’ presence of God”, and “God first” was the “motto on which” they built their existence.
Their story, the Pope continues, “highlights marriage as a path to holiness” and “among the vocations to which men and women are called by God, marriage is one of the most noble and exalted”.
Put Jesus at the center of your lives
Pope Leo then encourages couples “to persevere courageously on the path” they have begun, acknowledging that it is “sometimes difficult and demanding, but filled with light”. “Above all, place Jesus at the center of your families, your activities, and your decisions”, he stresses.
“Help your children discover His boundless love and tenderness, and strive to teach them to love Him in return as He deserves”. He reflects, “How could Therese have loved Jesus and Mary so deeply — and then passed on to us such a beautiful teaching — if she had not learned it from her saintly parents from the earliest age?”
For the Pope, this is the “great lesson that Louis and Zélie give us for today, a lesson that both the Church and the world need so greatly”.
