Every July 12, the Catholic calendar invites us to celebrate the holy wives Louis Martin and Celia Guérin, parents of Saint Therese of Lisieux. Today we offer you 7 facts that you may not have known about this exemplary marriage.
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1. They are the first married couple to be canonized together
The marriage of Saints Louis and Celia Martin was the first in which both were canonized together. The ceremony was presided over by Pope Francis on October 18, 2015.
The date of their liturgical memory was chosen based on their marriage anniversary, a sacrament they received on July 12, 1858 in the Basilica of Notre Dame in Alençon, France.
2. They both sought holiness before thinking about marriage
Louis spent time in an Augustinian monastery, but could not master Latin, and Celia had tried to become a Sister of Charity, but due to her breathing difficulties and migraines, she was not accepted. However, God had the vocation of marriage in mind for them: they married within 3 months of meeting each other and lived celibacy for almost a year.
3. Celia prayed that God would give her many children who could dedicate themselves to God
God blessed Celia with nine children, four of whom died shortly after being baptized, while the other five discerned vocations as nuns.
4. Celia died young and Luis took care of her children
Celia died of cancer at age 46, leaving Luis to care for their five daughters, including Saint Teresa, future patron saint of the missions, who was four years old at the time.
Luis died in 1894, at the age of 71, after remaining ill for a long time and finally paralyzed due to cerebral arteriosclerosis.
5. Luis accompanied three of his daughters to Carmel
Between 1882 and 1887 Luis accompanied three of his daughters to the Order of the Discalced Carmelites. The greatest sacrifice was separating from Teresa, who entered Carmel at 15 years old.
Some time later, all her daughters became nuns, four in Carmel and one in the Order of the Visitation of Saint Mary.
6. Saint Therese of Lisieux praised the holiness of her parents
In her book Story of a Soul, the saint spoke effusively about how she had been blessed with “incomparable parents” and how God had given her “a mother and father more worthy of heaven than of earth.”
The couple’s daily practices included Mass at 5:30 a.m., frequent Confession, participation in parish life, praying the Angelus and Vespers, resting on Sundays, and fasting during Lent and Advent.
They also invited poor people to dine with them at home, and frequently visited the elderly, teaching their children to treat the disadvantaged as equals.
7. Another of his daughters is on the way to the altars
His daughter Teresa was proclaimed a saint on May 17, 1925 by Pope Pius XI, and in July 2015 the cause for beatification of her sister Leonia was opened.
This article was originally published on July 11, 2020. It has been updated for republication.
Central Editorial
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