This July 12, the holy spouses Luis and Celia Martin, parents of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, are celebrated. The house where her family lived in Alençon (France) has become a sanctuary that is cared for by the Carmelite Messengers of the Holy Spirit, a Brazilian congregation.
In an interview with EWTN News, Sr. Catiane Joanol Neitzke, who was in front of the room of Saint Louis and Saint Celia, the location where Saint Teresa was born, told the origins of the Carmelite mission in this place.
Receive the main news from ACI Prensa by WhatsApp and Telegram
It is increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channels today:
“We arrived here in early 2020 for this mission. “Our experience has been, first of all, to discover the wealth of this couple, to discover the wealth of the Martin family, their values, their faith, what they have to contribute,” he explained.
“We have this experience of welcoming pilgrims, of visiting the house, of showing them, but not only showing them the objects as we see in the museum, but based on what they have experienced, their values, their faith, to take them to an experience with God.”
“Our goal, our job here is to pray with people and for their intentions,” he said.
The Institute of the Carmelite Sisters Messengers of the Holy Spirit was founded by Mother María José del Espíritu Santo in Nueva Almeida, Brazil, on July 30, 1984. Their charism is “to contemplate to evangelize.” They arrived at the sanctuary of Saint Louis and Saint Celia Martin in Alençon in 2020, after the canonization of both on October 18, 2015, being the first married couple to be declared saints on the same date.
The Carmelite Messengers arrived in Alençon during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first, a Brazilian and an Italian, arrived in January 2020, and in July Sister Catiane and another Argentine sister joined. They all had to learn French quickly. “We had help from a sister who spoke French and volunteers. In a few months we could talk about our mission,” Sister recalled. Catiane.
Its mission is to speak and evangelize. They learned about the life of the Martin family and, wanting to share what they learned, recorded a novena in Portuguese for the shrine’s YouTube channel. Within a few months, they dared to speak French with visitors.
The Sanctuary of Saint Louis and Saint Celia Martin
The house where the family of Saint Louis and Saint Celia Martin lived is a place of pilgrimage where people seek to learn more about the lives of these saints. This house, known as the Martin Family House, was where his five daughters lived, including Saint Teresa, who was born there in 1873.
According to Sr. Catiane, Saint Celia lived in this house from the age of 13 to 26, when she married Saint Louis. After selling the family watch shop, she moved to this house in 1871 with her four daughters. Saint Therese was born in 1873 and Saint Celia died in 1877. It is the only house where the entire family lived together.
The visit to the sanctuary begins in the gallery with family objects, followed by a short about Saint Celia and ends in the chapel, built next to the room where Saint Teresa was born. “From the chapel, a glass wall allows you to see the room of Saint Louis and Saint Celia,” Sister Catiane explained.
Pilgrims can also tour the town, visiting significant places such as the church where they were married and the watchmaker’s house. The sisters receive visitors in English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese.
Teachings of Saint Louis and Saint Celia
The Sister Catiane highlighted the importance of her mission at the sanctuary, addressing topics such as family and vocation. They organize retreats for couples and singles who want to form a holy family. “St. Louis and St. Celia are a model for families and a source of inspiration,” she said.
The life of the Martins, marked by the loss of children, the illness of Saint Celia and the confinement of Saint Louis in a sanatorium, offers comfort and hope to the pilgrims. “We received many prayer intentions, especially for health and fertility,” said Sister Catiane. Every first Friday of the month, the Carmelites pray for these intentions.
To send prayer intentions to the sanctuary of Saint Louis and Saint Celia Martin, you can enter HERE.
Diego Lopez Marina
I was born in 1991. I have a degree in Communication Sciences. Since 2015 I have worked as a digital journalist. I started my career at the Peruvian newspaper El Comercio. In 2016, I started as an editor at ACI Prensa and I have worked as a web editor since 2018. Starting in 2024, I write the newsletter for social media. I specialize in Catholic news focused on the defense of life and family, international politics, technology, popular culture and the Vatican.