http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/c022rpLouisMartin01.

html

Monsieur Louis Martin,

His Humiliation and Suffering
Marian T. Horvat

Only a few hints of St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s profound suffering over the “trial” of her dear father, Louis
Martin, appear in her autobiography The Story of A Soul. For example, shortly after the day she
received her habit in January 1888, a “day of triumph” crowned with every happiness, she wrote:

“I did not foresee then the trial awaiting us. I did not know that on February 12, one month after my
clothing day, our beloved father would drink so deeply of such a bitter chalice. … Words cannot
express our grief; nor shall I attempt to describe it here. In Heaven, we shall enjoy dwelling on these
dark days of exile. Yet the three years of my father's martyrdom seem to me the sweetest and most
fruitful of our lives.” (Chap. VII)

Her words are so discrete that when I first read

her autobiography, I had no idea what the
“martyrdom” of Mr. Martin was. I did not realize
that he was suffering from dementia and would be
confined for three years in an asylum, a great
humiliation and suffering for all the Martin
family. The day Thérèse received her habit was
his “day of triumph” because even though he was
already becoming disoriented and suffering
memory loss, on that day he returned to his 'old
self' completely.

One year later on February 12, 1889 – the day Mr. Louis Martin
Therese records in her diary – he was admitted to
the Bon Sauveur (Good Savior) Asylum at Caen, 30 miles west of Lisieux.

An obsession for running away

Shortly after the entry of Therese at age 15 into the Lisieux Carmel on April 9, 1888, Louis told his
daughters during a visit at the convent parlor: "My God, I am too happy. It’s not possible to go to
Heaven like that. I want to suffer something for you." "And," he said, "I offered myself" (ibid.).

God accepted the generous offering of the family patriarch. After several strokes that year, Louis
Martin began to suffer quite severe memory lapses, difficulty in speaking, fixations, unwarranted fears,
periods of depression and exaltation, and desires to run away and hide. Causing great anxiety to the
family, he would disappear from the house without telling anyone where he was going. Later, his
condition was diagnosed as progressive vascular brain disease, an arteriosclerosis throughout his brain
that evolved over a decade.

On one instance in June of 1988, M. Martin was missing for three days. Finally, on the fourth day,
Celine received a note from her father posted from Le Havre (a port city 24 miles north of Lisieux)
requesting money. She and her uncle left immediately and found him awaiting the funds near the
Page 1 of 57
General Post Office. When Celine asked him why he had gone, he answered, “I wanted to go and love
God with all my heart!” Even in his confused mental state, he had the notion that, having given all his
daughters to the religious life, he would now retire in solitude as a hermit.

A year later, Mr. Martin’s condition had worsened. His erratic behavior and obsession for running
away had increased, and it became impossible for Celine and Leonie to care for him and keep a
continual watch over him.

His brother-in-law, Isidore Guérin, who had assumed responsibility over the family, insisted he needed
specialized care and constant supervision. So, M. Martin, age 65, the venerable patriarch of the Martin
family, was committed to the Bon Sauveur mental asylum, ‘the madhouse,’ as it was crudely called in
the area, where he became inmate no. 14449.

A patient at Bon Sauveur

How many Catholic families today with relatives suffering from senility would appreciate a hospital
like Bon Sauveur, an old monastery transformed into a psychiatric hospital in the 19th century by the
Congregation of the Daughters of the Good Savior. When Mr. Martin was admitted, more than 260
religious and novices cared for the men and women who were housed in separate complexes. Near the
residence hall was a Chapel, where Mr. Martin spent much of his time and, when he was well, was
allowed to receive Holy Communion.

The building for men at Bon Sauveur Asylum; below, the chapel where Mr. Martin spent much time

Page 2 of 57
After Mr. Martin was admitted, his daughters Celine and Leonie left Lisieux to live with the St.
Vincent de Paul Sisters in Caen so they could visit their father daily. What a shock to see their father in
the hospital uniform and at times forcibly confined to prevent his wandering. After the first visit,
Celine wrote to her sisters, “Leonie and I said nothing. We were overwhelmed, shattered.”

After three months, the administration of the Bon Sauveur asylum reduced their visits to one a week.
Was it too difficult for Mr. Martin, who was still often lucid and aware of his humiliating situation, to
see his daughters daily? Or perhaps the Sisters realized the strain on the girls, whose health was clearly
suffering.

Following the advice of their uncle, Celine and Leonie returned to Lisieux, where they would faithfully
make the 30-mile journey to Caen each week to visit their father. Since the lease on Les Buisonnets,
the family house, was set to expire in December, they left that blessed home and went to live in the
estate of the Guérins. A chapter of happy memories in their lives closed.

These were difficult days for the Martin sisters, so often pictured as living idyllic rosy lives without
great trials. In fact, the sufferings and humiliations were considerable. Celine and Leonie had to
postpone their entrance into religious life; the family home was lost and the sisters became dependent
on relatives; they had to face the harsh reality of their beloved father’s mental illness and bear the guilt
of not being able to take care of him.

Finally, the whole family was keenly aware of the cruel gossip of friends and neighbors. Many people
were saying that Mr. Martin had become sick because his daughters had abandoned him, especially his
youngest, Therese. It was her entrance into Carmel, people said, that had caused his mind to fail. He
would have been fine were he surrounded by family and grandchildren, the more malevolent gossipers
continued, but his overly pious, selfish daughters had left him alone and now had committed him to a
madhouse.

Page 3 of 57
A gift, not a punishment

Neither Louis Martin nor his daughters viewed his illness with bitterness or anger toward God. Rather,
they accepted this suffering as a great gift intended to refine and purify their souls.

His whole life, Louis Martin had set his first sights
at pleasing God and following His will. Now in his
trial he reaped the good fruit: He showed himself
fully resigned to the will of God, even in face of
what he admitted was “the greatest trial that could
come upon a man.”

In his lucid moments, he felt the keen humiliation

of his situation. Then he would generously renew
his sacrifice and find God’s goodness in the great
trial. “I have always been accustomed to being in
charge,” he told a doctor, “and now I see myself
reduced to obeying. But I know why the Good
God has given me this trial: I have never had any
The Martin home; below, a statue in its garden
humiliations in my life, and I need to have some.”
where Therese asked his permission to enter
Carmel
When Celine told him his family and friends,
especially at Carmel, were praying for him to
recover and return to Lisieux, he answered, “No,
you must not ask for that, but only that God’s will
be done.” One of the doctors told him one day that
they would cure him, but he answered, “This trial
is a mercy. I am here to atone for my pride. I
deserve the illness that has struck me down!” The
sister who witnessed the scene later told Celine,
“We have never seen the like. We are caring for a
saint.”

The Martin sisters viewed their father’s illness in

the same supernatural light. Celine, who bore the
greatest burden of responsibility in caring for him, would be overwhelmed at times by discouragement,
but, writing to her sisters, she expressed her gratitude. “I want to be happy about our tribulations and to
do even more: to thank God for the bitterness of our humiliations,” she wrote her sisters at Carmel. “I
see something mysterious and divine in the conduct of Our Lord toward us! For did not He Himself
pass through all humiliations?”

“In Heaven, we shall enjoy dwelling on these dark days of exile. I would not exchange them for the
most sublime ecstasies, and my heart cries out in gratitude for such a priceless treasure,” Therese
would later write in her autobiography, describing how she and her sisters understood their suffering in
this period. “Precious and sweet was this bitter cross, and our hearts only breathed out sighs of
grateful love. We no longer walked - we ran, we flew along the path of perfection.” (Chap. VII).
Page 4 of 57
 Part 2: Last Years of Monsieur Louis Martin
Posted September 24, 2010

Related Topics of Interest

Everything Sublime Is Born from Sacrifice

Styles Reflect the Moral Profile of Peoples and Epochs

St. Therese of the Child Jesus: Master of Her Temperament

The Eyes and the Gaze

The Happiness of Waging a Holy War

Visiting the Holy House of Loreto

The Four Temperaments

http://www.clairval.com/lettres/en/2000/03/19/2220300.htm

Dear Friend of Saint Joseph Abbey,

«Yes, the civilization of love is possible; it is not a utopia. But it is only possible by a constant and ready
reference to God, the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth is
named (Eph 3: 14-15), from whom every human family comes» (John Paul II, Letter to Families, February 2,
1994, No. 15). Indeed, it is within the family that the civilization of love is born and grows.

However, «For some time now the family institution has been under repeated attack. These attacks are all the
more dangerous and insidious since they ignore the irreplaceable value of the family based on marriage» (John
Paul II, June 4, 1999). But «it is not without importance for children to be born and raised in a home made up of
parents united in a faithful covenant» (Ibid.). Marriage is this covenant by which «a man and a woman constitute
between them a community for life, ordained by its natural character for the benefit of the couple as well as for
the procreation and education of children» (Code of Canon Law, c. 1055, § 1). Respect for such a union has «a
very decisive bearing on the continuation of the human race, on the personal development and eternal destiny of
the individual members of a family, and on the dignity, stability, peace and prosperity of the family itself and of
human society as a whole» (Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, 48). That is why the Church strongly defends the
identity of marriage and the family. To this end, the Church puts forth the example of the «loving spouses that
were Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux,» whose heroic virtues were recognized on
March 26, 1994, by Pope John Paul II.

Page 5 of 57
«It is because I believe!»

Louis Martin was born on August 22, 1823, in Bordeaux, the second of five children. His father, a career
officer, was in Spain at the time. The childhood of the Martin children was spent going from one of their father's
garrisons to another: Bordeaux, Avignon, Strasbourg. At the time of his retirement, in December, 1830, Captain
Martin set up house in Alençon, in Normandy. He was an officer of exemplary piety. The regimental chaplain
had once mentioned to him that the soldiers were surprised to see him, during Mass, remain so long on his knees
after the Consecration, and he responded without batting an eye: «Tell them it is because I believe!» Louis
received a very strong religious upbringing, first in the family and then with the Brothers of Christian Schools.
He did not choose the traditional family career of the military, but instead became a watchmaker, which went
better with his quiet and meditative nature and with his great manual dexterity. He did his apprenticeship first at
Rennes, and then at Strasbourg.

At the beginning of Autumn, 1845, Louis made the decision to devote his life entirely to God. He went to the
Great Saint Bernard Hospice, in the heart of the Alps, where the canons were dedicated to prayer and to saving
travelers stranded in the mountains. He met the Prior, who asked him to return home to complete his studies in
Latin, with the eventual possibility of entering the Novitiate. After an unproductive attempt to take up his
studies somewhat late, Louis regretfully decided not to pursue his dream. In order to refine his apprenticeship,
he moved to Paris. After that, he returned home to Alençon and lived there with his parents, leading a very
orderly life, which made his friends remark, «Louis is a saint.» Busy with his different jobs, Louis did not think
about getting married. His mother regretted his decision, but at the lace-making school, where she was taking
some courses, she noticed a young woman who was talented and had good manners. Could this be the «pearl»
that she sought for her son? The young woman was Zélie Guérin, born at Gandelain, in the Orne (Normandy),
on December 23, 1831, the second of three children. Her father and mother were from profoundly Christian
families. In September, 1844, they moved to Alençon, where their two older daughters received an education at
a boarding school under the guidance of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Picpus.

Zélie considered a religious life, just as her older sister had, who became Sister Marie-Dosithée at the Visitation
Convent in Le Mans. But the Mother Superior of the Daughters of Charity, of whom Zélie had requested
admission to the order, told her without hesitation that such was not the Divine Will. Faced with such a
categorical statement, the young woman submitted, but she was saddened. In a wonderful supernatural
optimism, she cried out, «My God, I will enter into the state of marriage in order to fulfill Your holy will.
Therefore I pray that You give me many children and that they be consecrated to You.» Zélie then entered into a
lace-making school in order to become expert in making Alençon lace, a highly regarded form of lace-making.
On December 8, 1851, she received an inspiration: «Make Alençon lace.» From that time, she set up her own
shop.

Page 6 of 57
One day, passing by a young man with noble features, she was very impressed by his reserved appearance and
dignified bearing, and she heard an interior voice tell her, «He is the one I have prepared for you.» She soon
learned that the name of the passerby was Louis Martin. The two young people quickly came to value and love
one another. Their engagement was so quickly arranged that they were able to marry on July 13, 1858, three
months after their initial meeting. Louis and his wife proposed to each other to live as brother and sister,
following the example of Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary. Ten months of life together in total continence
permitted them to mold their souls into an intense spiritual communion. But a prudent intervention by their
confessor and the desire to give children to the Lord made them put an end to this holy experiment. Zélie would
later write to her daughter Pauline: «As for me, I wished to have many children so that I could raise them for
Heaven.» In less then thirteen years, they would have nine children. Their love would be beautiful and
productive.

Light years away

«A love which is not 'beautiful,' but reduced only to the satisfaction of concupiscence, or to a man's and a
woman's mutual 'use' of each other, makes persons slaves to their weaknesses» (Letter to Families, 13). From
this point of view, people are used as objects: woman becomes for man an object of pleasure, and vice versa;
children become a nuisance to their parents; the family becomes an institution that shackles the freedom of its
members. Thus, one finds oneself light years away from true love. «If an individual is exclusively concerned
with pleasure, he can reach the point of killing love by killing the fruit of love. For the culture of pleasure, the
'blessed fruit of your womb' (Lk 1: 42) becomes in a certain sense an 'accursed fruit,' that is to say, undesirable,
which one wants to suppress through abortion. This culture of death is opposed to divine law: The law of God is
univocal and categorical with respect to human life. God commands: 'You shall not kill' (Ex 20: 13). No human
lawgiver can therefore assert: it is permissible for you to kill, you have the right to kill, or you should kill»
(Letter to Families, 21).

«However,» the Pope continues, «there is a new and growing sense of respect for life from the first moment of
conception, especially among young people… This is a leaven of hope for the future of the family and of all
humanity» (Ibid.) Indeed, in the newborn is the realization of the common good of the family and of humanity.
The Martin parents experienced this truth by welcoming their numerous children. Zélie would write, «We lived
only for our children, they were our total good fortune which we only found through them.» Nevertheless, their
married life was not without tests. Three children died at a young age, two of them boys. Then there was the
difficult passing away of Marie-Hélène at the age of five and a half. Prayers and pilgrimages followed one upon
the other during these trials, especially in 1873, during the serious illness of Thérèse and Marie's typhoid. Zélie's
trust during the greatest difficulties was fortified by the sight of the faith of her spouse, in particular his strict
observance of Sunday rest: Louis never opened his shop on Sunday. It was the «Good Lord's feast» that they
celebrated together as a family, first at the parish services, then by taking long walks. They took the children to

Page 7 of 57
festivals at Alençon, punctuated by parades and fireworks. The upbringing of the children was at one and the
same time joyous, gentle, and strict. Starting at the age when they could understand, Madame Martin taught
them the morning offering of their heart to the Good Lord, the simple acceptance of daily difficulties «to please
Jesus»— indelible trait that would serve as the basis of the «little way» taught by their youngest child: the future
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. «Thus the home is the first school of Christian life,» as taught by the
Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC, 1657). Louis helped his spouse with the child-rearing. He got started
early at four o'clock in the morning, seeking a nursemaid for one of his younger children who was ill; he
accompanied his wife 10 kilometers from Alençon on a frigid night to be at the bedside of their first son Joseph;
he cared for his eldest, Marie, who was stricken with typhoid fever at the age of 13…

Love-giving energy

Very energetic, Louis Martin was not the «gentle dreamer» that has sometimes been described. In order to help
Zélie, who was unable to keep pace with the success of her lace-making business, he abandoned watchmaking to
find retail outlets for her work. Louis excelled in this business aspect and considerably increased the revenues of
the business. But he also knew how to find time to relax and to go fishing.

In addition, the Martin couple took part in several pious associations: the Third Order of Saint Francis, nocturnal
adoration, etc. They drew strength in the loving observation of the precepts and counsels of the Church: fasting,
abstinence, daily Mass, frequent confession. Pope John Paul II wrote to families, «God's strength is always far
more powerful than your difficulties! Much more influential than the corruption present in the world is the
divine power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation… And incomparably greater than all is the power of the
Eucharist… In it Christ has given us Himself as food and drink, as a source of saving power… The life that
comes from Christ is for you, dear Spouses, Parents and Families! Did Jesus not institute the Eucharist in a
family-like setting during the Last Supper?… The words He then pronounced retain all the power and wisdom of
the sacrifice of the Cross» (Letter to Families, 18).

Enduring fruits

At the source of the Eucharist, Zélie drew energy beyond the reach of most women, and her husband found
tenderness beyond the reach of the average man. Louis managed the finances. He happily went along with his
wife's requests: «For Marie's retreat at the Visitation,» Zélie wrote to Pauline, «you know how difficult it is for
your dad to leave you, and first he had said forcefully that she wouldn't go… Last night, Marie was upset about
his stance; I said to her, 'Let me take care of it, I always get what I want without a fight; there's still a month
before you go; that's enough time for me to change your father's mind ten times.' I wasn't mistaken, because
hardly an hour later, when he came home, he started talking very kindly about your sister (Marie) … 'Good,' I
said to myself, 'now is the time!' And I brought up this business. 'You really want to make this retreat?' Dad said
to Marie. She answered, 'Yes, Dad.' He answered, 'Fine, then go!'… I did have a good reason for wanting Marie
Page 8 of 57
to make the retreat. It's true that it is an expense, but money is nothing when it comes to the sanctification of a
soul; and last year, Marie came back completely changed. The fruit has lasted even until now, but it is time that
she replenish her supplies.»

Spiritual retreats produce fruits of conversion and sanctification, because under the influence of their energy, the
soul, susceptible to the inspirations and actions of the Holy Spirit, always purifies itself more of sins, practices
the virtues, imitating the absolute model of Jesus Christ, in order to arrive at a more intimate union with Him.
That is why Pope Paul VI was able to say: «Faithfulness to annual spiritual exercises in a sheltered milieu
assures the progress of the soul.» Among all the methods of spiritual exercise, «one has ever held the foremost
place and the full and repeated approbation of the Holy See… the method introduced by St. Ignatius of Loyola,
whom we are pleased to call the chief and peculiar Master of 'Spiritual Exercises'» (Pius XI, Encyclical Mens
Nostra).

The deeply Christian life of the Martin parents was naturally inclined to charity towards their neighbors: discrete
donations to needy families, in which the daughters participated depending upon their age, and helping the sick.
They were not afraid to engage in legal battles to aid the oppressed. In addition, together they took the necessary
steps to help an indigent person enter a hospice, to which he did not have the right, since he was not old enough.
These actions went beyond the scope of the parish and showed a great missionary spirit: large annual offerings
to the Propagation of the Faith, participation in the building of a church in Canada, etc.

But the intense family happiness of the Martins was not to last long. Starting in 1865, Zélie noticed a tumor in
her breast, which first appeared after she bumped into the corner of a piece of furniture. Her brother, a
pharmacist, and her husband didn't think it was of any importance. But at the end of 1876, the disease returned
and a formal diagnosis was made: «inoperable fibrous tumor» because it was in an advanced stage. Zélie was
valiant to the end. Conscious of the void that her passing would leave, she asked her sister-in-law, Madame
Guérin, to help her husband raise the youngest children after her death.

Madame Martin passed away on August 28, 1877. For Louis, 54 years old, it was devastating, a deep wound that
would only be closed in Heaven. But he accepted it all with an exemplary spirit of faith and the conviction that
his «saintly wife» was in Heaven. He would complete, without fail, the task started in the harmony of love:
raising five daughters. For that, Thérèse wrote, «Papa's very tender heart joined a truly motherly love to the love
that it already possessed.» Madame Guérin offered to help the Martin family and asked her brother-in-law to
move the family to Lisieux. Her husband's drugstore would be a second home for the little orphans, and the
intimacy that united the two families only grew, in the same traditions of simplicity, work and uprightness.
Despite the memories and the faithful friendships that could have kept them at Alençon, Louis accepted the
sacrifice and moved to Lisieux.

A great honor
Page 9 of 57
Life at the «Buissonets,» the new home in Lisieux, was more austere and withdrawn than in Alençon. The
family had little social interaction and cultivated the memory of her that Mr. Martin always spoke of to his
children as «your saintly mother.» The youngest girls were placed under the care of the Benedictines of Notre-
Dame du Pré. But Louis knew how to provide them with distractions: visits to the theater, trips to Trouville, a
stay in Paris, etc., seeking, through all the realities of life, the glory of God and the sanctification of souls.

His personal sanctity was revealed above all in the offering of all of his daughters, and then of himself. Zélie had
already foreseen the vocation of the two oldest girls: Pauline entered the Carmel of Lisieux in October 1882, and
Marie in October 1886. At the same time Léonie, a difficult child, began a series of fruitless attempts, first with
the Poor Clares, then at the Visitation convent, where after two failures she was able to enter definitively in
1899. Thérèse, the youngest, the «little Queen,» was to overcome every obstacle in order to enter Carmel at the
age of 15, in April 1888. Two months later, on June 15, Céline revealed to her father that she too felt called to
the religious life. Faced with this new sacrifice, Louis Martin's reaction was splendid: «Come, let us go together
to the Blessed Sacrament to thank the Lord who has given me the honor of taking all of my children.»

Following the example of Mr. Martin, parents should welcome vocations as a gift from God. Pope John Paul II
has written, «You, Parents, thank the Lord if He has called one of your children to the consecrated life. As it has
always been, one should feel very honored that the Lord esteems your family and has chosen one of its members
and invited them to follow the way of the evangelical counsels. Retain the desire to give one of your children to
the Lord for the growth of the love of God in the world. What fruit of married love could be more beautiful than
that?» (Apostolic Exhortation Vita consecrata, March 25, 1996, No. 107).

A vocation is above all a divine initiative. But a Christian upbringing favors a willing response to the call of
God: «It is in the bosom of the family that parents are 'by word and example… the first heralds of the faith with
regard to their children. They should encourage them in the vocation which is proper to each child, fostering
with special care any religious vocation» (CCC, 1656). In addition, «if parents do not live according to the
values of the Gospel, the young boy or girl will have difficulty hearing the call, or understanding the necessity
of the sacrifices to consent to or appreciate the beauty of the goal to be attained. It is indeed in the family that
young people first experience the values of the Gospel, of the love that is given to God and to others. It is also
necessary that they be raised to responsibly use their freedom, in order to be prepared to live, according to their
vocation, the highest spiritual realities» (Vita consecrata, ibid.).

«I am too happy»

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face would testify to the manner in which her father actually
lived the Gospel: «What I noticed the most was the progress that Dad made in perfection; following the example
of Saint Francis de Sales, he was able to come to master his natural vivacity to the point that he appeared to have
the most gentle nature in the world… The things of this world hardly seemed to affect him; he easily overcame

Page 10 of 57
the difficulties of this life.» In May 1888, Louis retraced the stages of his life, during a visit to the church where
he had celebrated his marriage. He afterwards told his daughters: «My children, I have come back from
Alençon, where I received in the Church of Our Lady such great graces, such consolations, that I said this
prayer: 'My God, it is too much! Yes, I am too happy, it is not possible to go to Heaven like that, I want to suffer
something for you! And I offered myself…» The word «victim» trailed off on his lips; he dared not pronounce
it, but his daughters understood.

God did not delay in hearing His servant. On June 23, 1888, afflicted by increasing arteriosclerosis that affected
his mental capacities, Louis Martin disappeared from his house. After much anxiety, he was found at Le Havre,
on the 27th. It was the beginning of a slow and inexorable physical failure. Shortly after Thérèse took the habit,
where he appeared «so handsome, so dignified,» he was the victim of a crisis of delirium that required his
admittance to Good Saviour Hospital in Caen: a humiliating situation that he accepted with an extraordinary
faith. When he was able to express himself, he repeated: «Everything for the greater glory of God,» and also: «I
have never been humiliated in my life, I need to be humiliated.» When his legs were paralyzed, in May, 1892,
they brought him back to Lisieux. «Good-bye, see you in Heaven!» he was barely able to say to his daughters
during his last visit to Carmel. He passed away quietly after a heart attack, on July 29, 1894, attended by Céline
who had put off her entrance to Carmel in order to take care of her father.

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face would say: «The Good Lord gave me a father and a
mother more worthy of Heaven than of the earth.» May we, following their example, arrive at the eternal
dwelling place that the Saint of Lisieux called «the Paternal Home of Heaven.»

Dom Antoine Marie osb.

To publish the letter of Saint Joseph Abbey in a magazine, a newspaper, etc., or to reproduce it on the
internet or on a home page, permission must be requested and obtained through e-mail or through
http://www.clairval.com.

Index of the Letters - Home Page

Page 11 of 57
http://leoniemartin.org/life-of-leonie-from-the-visita/

The Beginnings

After having, at different times, searched for a home before the Tabernacle of the Lord, it was in the shadow of
our sanctuary that our dear Sister Françoise-Thérèse found a place forever, embracing the hidden life of the
Visitation, with all the joy in her heart.

Marie-Léonie was the third of nine children entrusted by God to Monsieur and Madame Martin. We need not
praise these virtuous parents; it is enough to say that the most beautiful blossom in their crown was St. Thérèse
of the Child Jesus.

Marie and Pauline already filled the family home with joy when the third child came to bloom in this blessed
garden on June 3, 1863.

Page 12 of 57
 She was received with the warmest tenderness, and the next day was reborn in the waters of baptism on the
beautiful feast of the Blessed Sacrament: a pious coincidence that was always a joy to the profoundly
Eucharistic soul of our well-loved Sister.
Page 13 of 57
Page 14 of 57
[St. Pierre de Monsort was the parish church of Louis and Zelie Martin from their marriage in 1858 until they
moved to Rue Saint-Bllaise in 1871. This church was rebuilt at the end of the 19th century].

[All the Martin children were baptized at St. Pierre de Monsort except Thérèse].

Instead of blossoming, however, this white flower soon showed signs of wilting; the infant’s shaky health
constantly worried her mother, who witnessed her totter between life and death for sixteen months.

Her father’s pilgrimage on foot to Notre Dame de Séez and a novena to Blessed Margaret Mary finally obtained
from heaven the longed-for restoration of her health. “If she will be a saint one day, cure her,” so prayed M. and
Mme. Martin with the movement of their almost supernatural faith.

Childhood Difficulties

Page 15 of 57
But the Lord, in His inscrutable designs, would will that these two great Christians would again pass through the
crucible of trial. As the child developed, they saw with pain that she was less gifted than her sisters. From the
time that she reached school age, she displayed a mischievous nature, and drew no profit from the courses she
was given, instead amusing and teasing her little schoolmates. With sincere humility, she would later admit to
having been a very poor student. For example, not understanding mathematics, particularly failing at division,
she contented herself with randomly aligning and ciphering numbers, to the irritation of her teacher.

Schooling at the Visitation.

The pious Madame Martin did not hesitate to entrust to her sister, a nun of the Visitation Convent of Le Mans,
her third daughter, who had caused her so many worries. After Leonie had stayed a while at the boarding school
at the Monastery, the dear aunt thus expressed her appreciation of her young niece, then about nine years old:

“Léonie, during the short time I have seen her, has given me much hope for the future. It is the case of a child
difficult to raise and who since infancy has not given much pleasure, but I believe that she will soon advance as
far as her sisters. She has a heart of gold, her intelligence has not developed and is below her age; but, she does
not lack the means, and I find in her good judgment with also an admirable strength of character. When this little
one realizes her duty, nothing will stop her; difficulties, whether great or small, would be nothing for her; she
will break whatever obstacles in her path; she will find them, for she is made for it. In sum, hers is a generous
and strong nature, all to my liking, but if God’s grace is not given, what will happen then?”

Page 16 of 57
On May 28, 1875, the Feast of the Holy Trinity, Léonie made her First Communion at the Church of Notre-
Dame of Alençon, a memory that would form a profound imprint upon St. Thérèse, as she related much later in
her wonderful autobiography, “The Story of a Soul.”

M. and Mme. Martin tried again to give Léonie the benefit of the good education that Marie and Pauline
received at the Visitation of Mans where their aunt, Sister Marie-Dosithée Guérin, surrounded them with
maternal solicitude. But our little one, most lacking in self-discipline, could not possibly adapt to the regimen at
the Boarding School, and returned to Alençon to receive tutoring there. She felt herself inferior, and suffered
silently, as she would much later tell us. “I felt for a long time that I would have [another] change in care-giver
until one day that my mother assured me that I would never be abandoned, which promise gave me real relief!”

Page 17 of 57
Her affectionate soul expanded in the warm family atmosphere where she gave lots of expressions of love to
each family member, above all to her two younger sisters.

“My dear little Léonie,” wrote St. Thérèse, “had a very large place in my heart; she loved me a great deal; in the
evenings, after lessons, she volunteered to care for me while the rest of the family went on walks. I still
remember the gentle refrains of the songs she would sweetly sing to lull me to sleep.”

The Desire to Become a “Real” Religious

Around 1876, Mme. Martin had a last meeting with her well-loved Visitandine sister, who had quickly become
holy in the life of the cloister and whose earthly life was drawing to an end. Mme. Martin asked Sister Marie-
Dosithée to make her feel visibly, after her death, Sister’s credit with God and to ask God to take pity on her
poor child.

When, at home, she heard sadly of the impending death of her venerable aunt, Léonie told Marie, “I would like
myself to write to her before she dies and give her my requests for heaven; I ask her to ask the Good God to give

me a religious vocation.”

Page 18 of 57
Her dear elder sister did not pay serious attention then to this wish that she felt had no basis in reality, but our
little one voluntarily composed her letter all alone, and here is its content:

“My dear aunt,

I keep as a relic the picture you gave me. I look at it every day as you asked to become obedient. Marie will
have it framed for me. My dear aunt, when you are in Heaven, ask the Good God, please, that He grant me the
grace of conversion and also that He give me the vocation to be a true religious, because I think about it every
day. I beg you, do not forget my little request, because I am sure that the Good God will answer you.
Au revoir, my dear and well-loved aunt, I embrace you with all my heart.

Your very affectionate niece,

Léonie.”

Upon reading these lines, Mme. Martin, greatly surprised by this startling declaration, wrote to Mme. Guérin,
her sister-in-law in Lisieux, adding:

Page 19 of 57
“But where would she come up with such ideas? Certainly, it was not I who put them in her head. I myself am
persuaded that unless a miracle takes place, Léonie will never be able to enter a Community. I will admit to you
that this little letter revives my courage, and I hold on to the hope that, perhaps, God has merciful designs for
this child. If it takes the sacrifice of my life that this child become a saint, I would happily do it.”

Retelling the story of this letter to her daughter Pauline, also a boarder at the Visitation, the dear mother
stated: “I told Marie this evening that there is one thing that astonishes me: that she wrote ‘a real
religious.’ Marie, very much surprised in her turn, answered me: “I absolutely wanted her to erase ‘vrai’
(“true”). I told her that it does not mean anything, but she stood firm, saying “Please, let me put it that way; I
want to write it that way.”

Marie asked her the next day: “What does it mean: a “true” religious?” Léonie answered her, “It means I want
to be a thoroughly good religious and ultimately to become a saint.”

Some weeks later, on February 24, 1877, the venerable Sister Marie-Dosithée rendered her beautiful soul to
God, leaving her religious family fragrant with the perfumes of her eminent virtues. It was then that a notable
change showed in our Léonie; one could not help but note the rare qualities of judgment and heart that supplied
for everything, even while her education remained mediocre; the intervention of Heaven was palpable.

Her Mother's Death

Page 20 of 57
The following June, Mme. Martin, suffering from an incurable illness, went, along with her daughters Marie,
Pauline, and Léonie, on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, to ask for her cure. With her profound faith, she also intended
to ask for her third child the all-powerful intervention of the Holy Mother of God. “I plan to take Léonie,” she
wrote to her sister-in-law, “and wash her forehead with the miraculous water so that the Holy Virgin will open
her intelligence.” This confidence could not be defeated.

Soon, on August 28, 1877, the admirable and true Christian who was Mme. Martin, exhausted from her
suffering and feeling that she was dying, surrendered into the hands of God, with the most perfect abandonment,
her young and numerous family. She left them plunged into great sorrow, but they were all left imprinted with
the example of her noble life that recalled the “Strong Woman” of Scripture whom we admire. During her

Page 21 of 57
blessed stay on earth, this worthy Mother completed what the Visitandine aunt had begun, so that Léonie
became a source of consolation for her good Father and sisters.

The Move to Lisieux

M. Martin, worried about the happiness and future of his daughters, wanted to ensure the tender and vigilant
direction of their aunt, Mme. Céline Guérin, and decided to move to Lisieux, where Léonie could finish her

Page 22 of 57
education as a boarder at the School of the Benedictine Nuns.

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus paints with an exquisite charm the intimacy of one of the evenings wherein
the entire family gathered around the family hearth. The venerable Father, like a true patriarch, had his “little
Queen” on his knee, while reviewing the homework of his “good Léonie,” as he liked to call her. Léonie’s
characteristic offering to her younger sisters of her doll with its basket, ribbons, and trousseau, shows her golden
heart. She could not see them admiring any object that belonged to her without spontaneously offering it to
them.

Page 23 of 57
In 1883, Léonie shared in the profound suffering of the family brought about by the mysterious illness of the
“little Thérèse.” With her elder sisters, she spent arduous hours at the bedside of the sweet patient, doing her
best to distract and amuse her. Sadly, one day it seemed that the child recognized no one but Marie, and Léonie
carried her close to the window where the young girl could see her eldest sister stretching her arms out to her. A
vain attempt, after which the three young girls, anguished, fell to their knees, praying and begging the Queen of
Heaven with an indescribable fervor. They then had the joy of seeing the reflection on the face of the
miraculously cured child of the heavenly radiance of the ineffable smile of the Immaculate Virgin on her “little
Flower.”

The following year, the child privileged by Mary had the inexpressible happiness of uniting herself with Jesus
for the first time and of receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. “It was my dear little Léonie who was my
godmother on this day,” Thérèse would write later, “She could not keep her tears from running down her
cheeks during the ceremony.”

A Failed Attempt to Become a Poor Clare.

Years before, Léonie had accompanied Mme. Martin to the meeting of tertiaries of St. Francis of Assisi and,
secretly, nourished the desire to consecrate herself to God through the Seraphic Order. On October 7, 1886, she
obtained permission to attempt the religious life within the Monastery of the Reverend Mothers at Alençon

Page 24 of 57
. .
Alas, the austerity of the Rule got the better of her delicate health, and, on the following December 1st, she had
to leave this most fervent Monastery.

Interiorly compelled by a great desire to “inhabit the House of the Lord” and not dreaming of joining her
elder sisters Marie and Pauline in Carmel, Léonie directed her steps towards the Visitation Monastery, which
she sought to enter on July 16, 1887.

Page 25 of 57
But this was not the time set by the Lord because her health had not sufficiently improved. She returned to the
Buissonnets where her beloved family received her with compassion and tenderness.
In her absence, Monsieur Martin made, with his two youngest daughters, Céline and Thérèse, a pilgrimage to
Rome. They later would relate their interesting and pious memories of the trip to their older sister, who little by
little flourished in this intimate environment.
A great emptiness would soon develop in this privileged household. The “Little Queen” would soon take flight
towards the blessed mountain that she would grace with the unique charm of her sanctity.

On the eve of her departure, all the while fearing that these last conversations would provoke difficult
emotions, Léonie held Thérèse close to her heart, giving her affectionate advice so as to give her youngest sister
a preview of those tests that she might soon meet within the convent. But Providence had very different designs
for these two souls. It was a definite goodbye for Thérèse upon stepping across the doorway into the Carmel.

Page 26 of 57
 Caring for Papa and Another Attempt to Become a Nun.

After making this supreme sacrifice, M. Martin, who, with his generous faith, felt much honored to see all his
daughters marked by the Divine choice, offered himself in these last years to God for His greater glory. With
admirable resignation, he accepted the terrible malady that would lead to the end of his exile. Léonie and
Céline cared for their good Father with delicacy, their filial efforts reinforced by their wish to make up for the
absences of the affectionate hearts lost to the cloister, which invisibly strengthened all with tenderness and
prayers. Léonie and Céline would often visit the Carmel speakroom for direction when they so needed this
comfort.

In 1890, the two sisters had the consolation of making a pilgrimage to Paray-le-Monial, and there our dear
Léonie, who had never lost her ardent desire for a religious life, begged Blessed Marguerite-Marie for a definite
entry into the convent. As the remaining “Guardian Angel” of their good Father, Céline allowed Léonie to cross
the threshold of our Monastery again on June 24, 1893. After a bountiful postulancy, she took the habit and
made preliminary vows. She received the name Sister Thérèse-Dosithée after her holy Visitandine aunt. Her
joy was all the greater when her well-loved Céline was able to assist in the ceremony, and, of course, all the
hearts in the Carmel of Lisieux beat in unison for her.
Page 27 of 57
Delighted that they now shared the name of Thérèse, Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus wrote to her elder sister:

“Which of the two Thérèses will be most fervent? It will be the one who is most humble, the one closest to
Jesus, the one most faithful to do all with love…’Let us not allow to pass by any sacrifice, all counts in the
religious life.”

Nevertheless, despite her total effort, the dear novice was not able to withstand for long the requisite efforts
demanded. In those days, the senior Religious required the young sisters to keep the Rule to the letter, and they
did not believe in moderating the regime as sometimes is needed in the formation of new nuns. As a result, her
delicate health suffered, and our poor child was dismissed.

Return to Lisieux and a Father’s Death.

Upon returning to Lisieux, she found her blessed Father on the verge of exchanging earth for heaven.

The Lord called His Faithful Servant on July 29, 1894, to wear the crown of glory and everlasting happiness
that he so nobly deserved. Two months later, Céline, having so nobly completed her filial duties, embraced in
turn the life of Carmel.

Page 28 of 57
It was then in the very affectionate home of her uncle and aunt, M. and Mme. Guérin, that Léonie found
comfort amidst her bereavement.

Near them, she felt “en famille” because both Guérins always treated their daughters and nieces with the same
solicitude. Their eldest daughter had married Doctor La Néele, and their youngest would soon leave to enter the
Carmel.

Page 29 of 57
 So, as if she were a uniquely loved child, Léonie was pampered by these good parents, from whom she
received sweet consolation.

But, in the Carmel, her blood sisters followed with compassion the unsettled experiences of their poor exiled
sister and united their prayers with hers. On the day of her profession, Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus,
ardently desiring to see Léonie share in the intimate blessing that she experienced, composed the following
prayer:

“Oh, Jesus! Make it Your will that Léonie become a Visitandine, and, if she does not have a vocation, I ask
You to give her one. You cannot refuse me this.”

Page 30 of 57
[During Thérèse's last hours on September 30, 1897, Léonie was praying in the chapel of the Carmel with her
aunt and uncle Guérin. When Thérèse died in the early evening., Pauline sent them this note: "Dear Uncle and
Aunt, Dear Léonie - Our Angel is in heaven. She gave up her last sigh at seven o'clock, pressingh her crucifix to
her heart and crying "Oh! I love You!" She had just raised her eyes to heaven. What was she seeing!! Your
little daughter who loves you more than ever, Sister Agnès of Jesus r.c.i."]

Page 31 of 57
[The invitation sent by the members of Thérèse's family to her funeral on October 4, 1897. Léonie is listed as
the first of the mourners.]

Definitive Entry into the Visitation at Caen.

This audacious supplication from the “Little Queen” would touch the Heart of the Divine King. After
Thérèse’s death, the difficulties that kept our dove outside the ark would diminish and she could repeat what the
Psalmist wrote: “Lord, You have broken my bonds; I will offer You a host of praise.”

An important change had occurred within our religious family. Repeated bereavements within our community
required us to seek from the Mother Monastery in Boulogne-sur-Mer assistance in augmenting our ranks. Our
appeal was kindly heard and three Very Honored Sisters who were destined to govern our Monastery were sent
to us. They were able to bring with them new, progressive views about the formation of young sisters to our

Page 32 of 57
Holy Rules. Accordingly, many former applicants decided to try again to join our ranks. Encouraged by this
example, Léonie re-entered to be among us definitively on January 28, 1899.

Her leave-taking caused a great void within her adopted Guérin family. M. Guérin, who prudently had
extended his niece’s stay in the world, decided to take her himself to the cloister, despite the sadness he felt in
this last parting. Two days later, in an affectionate letter, Mme. Guérin would so express her feelings:

“I saw, my dear little Léonie, that you suffered a great deal in the world and I suffered too to see your
pain. Everything you desired has now been given for you to drink; may the Good God continue to guide your
sailboat until it arrives safely to port.

“Your year of trial is over, now it is a new life that you are commencing, a life with which you are already
familiar. Go forward with courage, count on the Good God, leave things as you have done, leaving everything
to Him. We will help you. Oh! I assure you that from our feeble prayers the Lord will frequently hear your
name.”

After only fourteen months of postulancy, Léonie received the Holy Habit with the name, Sister Françoise-
Thérèse, in remembrance of her beloved, youngest sister.

Novitiate

Her novitiate was under the vigilant care of the Very Reverend Sister Louise-Henriette Vaugeois, a professed
nun from our beloved Monastery of Boulogne. This intelligent Superior knew how to comprehend the soul of
her new novice, whom she judged as being very direct, simple, and humble. Never appearing surprised at any
criticism directed toward her, Sister Françoise-Thérèse would humble herself freely, profoundly convinced of
her own deficiencies. She would not trouble herself unduly with the difficulties that her work gave rise to, and
she laughed at her own shortcomings. She showed affection to all her fellow novices, so much so that amongst
themselves, they would frequently be heard to say, “How fond I am of that little sister!”

Her heart, which became closely attached to this worthy Mistress, was broken when the Mistress was recalled to
her profession Monastery, leaving her little charge in the hands of our Very Reverend Marie-Aimee de Songnis.

Very different in character, the new Directress, who had remarkable aptitude in the formation of novices,
trained them with strength to acquire strong virtues. The transition was difficult for our dear Sister, who would
pour a torrent of tears; one would see her present herself in front of her Mistress armed with two handkerchiefs
to stanch the flow!

The searcher was, in effect, sufficiently strengthened on her way; the wise Directress, affirming her with
kindness, decided that the time had come to work on loosening the chains that had constantly held her captive to
her own self.

Page 33 of 57
She experienced a certain difficulty in adapting to the practical details of religious life, together with an
exaggerated and too meticulous sense of upkeep of everything that she used, furnishing ample reasons for the
corrections that she received. However unfortunate the repeated humiliations she received with “peace and
kindness,” our fervent novice did not lose her sense of joy, her animated and engaged spirit at recreation,
providing in great part pleasant occasions for her fellow nuns. Charity characterized her dealings with all the
other sisters: once the sisters played a small prank on her during the Feast of the Epiphany.

That night our sister, who had drawn the charm in the king cake, returned to her room and found six hot water

bottles placed in her bed.

Rather than making a fuss, she kept one bottle and distributed the others among the sisters who, like her, were
most susceptible to the cold.

Profession

Upon finishing her novitiate year, our well-loved Sister Françoise-Thérèse could now look forward to the
beautiful day of her profession. Her small sailboat was now reaching port, and she could now write to her good
Uncle Guérin upon learning that she had been accepted and could now pronounce her holy vows. He
responded:

“Despite contrary winds along the way, God has willed to keep you and to render unto you the great honor that
you seek. You have without doubt received the graces that God has filled you with in order to repay your
perseverance.

“I feel part of your joy, my dear, because I sense that part of the honor that is yours reflects back upon us.
Despite the years, are you not still our child? We have done our best to bring about your growth in the path of
perfection. As of yesterday, our mission is accomplished. Help us, my dear child, in thanking God and know

Page 34 of 57
well that your aunt and I miss your sweet presence dearly.”

Page 35 of 57
From the Carmel of Lisieux, four affectionate hearts reached out to her with the most loving and sisterly
wishes. From her eldest sister, Sr. Marie du Sacré Coeur, came the following statement:

“How can I express what I feel in my heart on the eve of such a great day? What an alliance! What an honor
for one who is the object of such a privilege. Tomorrow, at nine, you will be attended by our love and our
prayers. Do not think that we are far from you; no, for the soul there is no such thing as distance. And also, at
your side will be our dear father and mother, my aunt from Le Mans who radiates happiness in seeing her little
Visitandine realize her dearest wishes, our Thérèse surrounded by the four little angels who have been in heaven
now for so long . . . . Yes, tomorrow, all of heaven will celebrate. I placed your crown at the feet of the Virgin (it
was in our house, as you know, that she smiled upon Thérèse). We have also placed it around the statue’s neck
where we have all kissed it in happily making this loving offering.

Her younger cousin, Sister Marie of the Eucharist, also expressed her joy in writing:

“Thanking the Lord, who has shown his mercy to our family. A sixth lily is going to be consecrated, and it is
not the least brilliant, having purchased by force of sacrifices her vocation. Oh! How I am united in heart and in
spirit and how Heaven rejoices, that the saints accompany you on this beautiful day, your cortege is all celestial;
there is nothing of earth.”

Page 36 of 57
On July 2, 1900, on our Patronal Feast of the Visitation, our blessed Sister Françoise-Thérèse was consecrated
forever to our Lord.

Radiant below her crown of roses, she seemed transfigured; wasn’t she the Bride of Jesus, the King of Heaven
and of earth. With her sainted little Sister, she could sing with great gratitude:

You can strum the chords of your lyre

And this lyre, Oh, Jesus, it is my heart
Then I can of your mercies
Sing of their power and sweetness.

Page 37 of 57
Within Community life, the newly professed nun was called to serve successfully as an aide in all types of
employment. Her love of order, taken to an extreme, was seen manifested first in the refectory where, with
great meticulousness, she made sure that nothing was left amiss.

But her heart leaped with joy when obedience called her to work in the Sacristy, reflecting her great spirit of
faith and ardent love for the Holy Eucharist.

Page 38 of 57
Until the age of 73, she held the honor of ironing the altar linen; her piety found pure joy in working with the
holy implements that would touch the Divine Host. We do not know how to describe the happiness with which
she responded to the Holy Mass and the great pleasure she derived from these privileges.

A Storm of Glory from Lisieux

Hardly thirteen years had elapsed from the death of the Angel of Carmel when an air of extraordinary glory
began to surround her memory, and talk began of submitting to the Holy Church a request to examine her
virtues. In 1910, Monseigneur Lemonnier, bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux, received authorization from the
Sacred Congregation of Rites to open the diocesan process and to inform our Most Venerable Mother that our
dear Sister Françoise-Thérèse should begin to prepare for her deposition. Much moved by the grandeur and
gravity of the enterprise and of what was being asked of her, and worried that she neither omit nor add anything,
she enveloped herself in prayer and contemplation in order to write down her remembrances.

Thereafter timidly and self-critically, our worthy sister, who saw God in all her superiors and who showed them
filial confidence, would have recourse of their guidance in these particular circumstances. “Our Mother is for
me a subject of unparalleled devotion,” she would write her Sisters in Carmel, “I am touched unto tears to have
so much help; never would I involve myself in any matter without that aid, I am humbly convinced of that. In
all, as long as I have the spirit to love the Good God with all my strength, I cannot live without a love born of
humility; that is enough.”

Several months later, she was called to testify before the Church Tribunal seated in Bayeux. Our Very
Honorable Mother Jeanne-Marguerite Decarpentry accompanied her there, where they received warm
hospitality at the residence of the Reverend Benedictine Mothers.

Our humble sister, instead of being dazzled by the respectful regard tendered to her, confided: “Thérèse works
much for my soul, even in this moment, in terms of humility. The more I see her glorified, the more I feel the
need to be hidden. I desire to disappear, to count for nothing, what grace.”

On September 30, 1912, the fifteenth anniversary of her having entered into Heaven, the kind, little Saint came
to visit her good Léonie, who experienced that evening the soft and penetrating scent of roses. Telling her older
sisters about it, she concluded:

“I experienced a great consolation although it did not last more than a few moments But within the joy I felt, I
was pressed to say, ‘Oh, my well-loved little sister, you are so close to me, I am sure of it.’ Afterwards I felt
greater fervor to practice littleness. Whenever the little habits returned, alas, when a little rebellion set it, it was
worth the effort to practice ‘la petitesse’.”

A Reunion in the Carmel of Lisieux.

Page 39 of 57
The Apostolic Process had reached the point of requiring the examination of witnesses under oath at the Carmel
of Lisieux. Léonie’s superiors ordered her to report there. [Editor's note: A Visitation nun at that time did not
leave her monastery, nor would the enclosure of Carmel have been open to her. But because almost all the
witnesses to be examined were at Lisieux, the ecclesiastical authorities directed Sister Françoise-Thérèse to
travel to Lisieux to testify before the tribunal that was sitting at Lisieux. This rare exception was a great joy to
Léonie]. She embarked on this second trip feeling the sweetest consolations. “Behold how good and joyful a
thing it is” was a feeling shared by the four reunited sisters, together for the purpose of advancing the
glorification of the youngest sister, their Benjamin.

Our dear sister had not to this point foreseen her sister’s long ascendance to the summit of sanctity; now she was
able to piece it all together in this blessed setting and there to serve as a witness.

With a devotion she could not quite explain, Léonie experienced the places made holy by her angelic sister; she
particularly enjoyed prolonged prayer in the austere cell that had been used by the little Saint. And what
celestial conversations she must have had with her other sisters! This unexpected reunion made her appreciate
all the more her joyous union with Jesus through her vows as a religious. “Oh, I am too happy,” our Léonie
would say with her hands together and her eyes towards heaven.

Page 40 of 57
The other nuns at the Carmel joined Léonie’s own sisters in welcoming her. Our own dear Sister Françoise-
Léonie was surrounded and celebrated by all. All the sisters sang for her a hymn composed to celebrate the
virtues of the future and great Saint, including references to the great honor devolving upon her own blessed
family.

But as everything on earth is fleeting, the Martin family reunion was shadowed by the knowledge that it would
be a short one. One of the songs composed for her made reference to this:

Oh, Sister, do not cry as the hour advances,

And we must prepare for the sad adieux,
Since this exile of a day shall pass like a dream,
And soon, forever we shall be in Heaven.

Upon returning to the Visitation, our blessed Sister Françoise-Thérèse returned to her humble and hidden
life. So much so that, she experienced worries of failing that recurred so often that it was a bit paralyzing. She
decided from then on to follow in her Sainted sister’s wake and to dwell upon and study every day the profound
secrets of spiritual childhood that fits so well for the daughters of St. Francis de Sales. She preserved in her
heart with a degree of nostalgia the memory of the time full of charm passed in Lisieux. Also to savor with
pleasure the lines written by her older sister, Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart:

“And you, little sister, what do you think of the memory that you have left us, a memory that has left me
dreaming of heaven where our reunion will be eternal? Like you, I feel more, after your departure, I feel the
exile, I miss the happiness brought about by our reunion. One minute we enjoyed the joy of a family reunion,
we have been blessed to experience what it will be in the afterlife when we will never again separate. It had
been seventeen years since you had been far from us but you have been with us always. Then, glancing below
to our terrestrial home, it will all seem like a dream; like our Mother Saint Teresa said, “A night passed in a bad
inn.” Yes, our life here below is not what it should be and I feel like you, to fill up with courage in order to
scale the mountain of perfection, because I know well that it is Jesus that carries me in his arms if I place in Him
all my confidence”

In subsequent years, Léonie’s health, always precarious, became notably weaker and would occasion sensible
sacrifice on her part [as she carried out her religious duties].

It was around that time that she greatly dedicated her sweet and harmonious voice to the chanting of the Divine
Office, praising the Lord with all her soul. While carrying out this duty, she was favored with a touching
manifestation of her saintly sweet Sister at the start of her religious life, which she reported in a letter to the
Carmel. During the Matins, she saw, all of a sudden, a luminous hand that rose above her book. This vision
was as clear and quick as lightning, but immediately, our sister had the feeling that it was nothing less than a
sisterly visit and she told herself:

“That is my little Thérèse, my second guardian angel, who came to increase my fervor.”
Page 41 of 57
And one can add faith to her testimony because she never wished at all for extraordinary graces. With age, she
was not able to withstand fatigue enough to continue chanting psalms, and it was her duty to step back and pass
to the ranks of the Associate Sisters. Opening her heart to her doubly maternal Pauline (the Reverend Mother
Agnes de Jesus) she received this response:

“Oh! Do not become sad, my little Léonie. As long as your soul sings without ceasing the praises of the Lord,
all will be well. In addition, recall the luminous hand of our Thérèse. This time she has invisibly closed your
hymnal, but she has also come to open your heart!”

Thereafter, Sister Françoise-Thérèse nourished an intimate and ardent desire--that is, to have a great relic of her
little Thérèse. Heaven appeared to deign to grant this desire in a touching and unexpected manner. The Sisters
of Carmel were prohibited from disposing of the Blessed Relics, but they wondered how they could nonetheless
grant Léonie’s reasonable desire. During the second exhumation, one saw that from within the silk covering the
main relics of the Saint a molar had detached completely. “This will be for Léonie,” the Carmelite Sister
thought to herself. And Léonie indeed received, with immense pleasure, this most precious gift.

Thérèse Glorified

The worldwide fame of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus brought to our door visitors anxious to meet the very
sister of the Little Flower of Lisieux. Respecting the demands of the cloister, one had often to refuse these
requests. Sister Léonie-Françoise, as assistant to the porter sister, had many occasions to handle such requests
with finesse, and she would respond in a manner that was both appropriate and calculated to deprive herself of
any satisfaction based on pride.

Page 42 of 57
A prelate presented himself at the visitor’s entrance wanting to visit with Léonie, but our dear, unrecognized
Sister told him, “we will ask the Mother Superior, but I don’t think that this request will be granted.” “Oh, I
am so sorry,” responded the prelate. Léonie responded, “I assure you, Father, that you will lose nothing in
failing to see her; it really is not worth the trouble.” Startled by this blunt opinion, the prelate left without
saying a word. When he ran into the Convent chaplain, he discovered who the door-keeper had been, and was
edified by how low an opinion the Sister of the Saint had of her own self.

Our Sister, although she lavishly praised the talents of the other nuns, was herself incapable of showing even the
slightest envy. She would admire without question all that was produced by the Carmel in Lisieux—
publications, portraits, etc., and she found them all worthy moral and physical depictions of her Little
Thérèse. But she was uncomfortable when these became subjects of discussion.

She gained a strong devotion for the portrait of the Holy Face, based on the Holy Shroud of Turin, painted with
such exactitude and piety by her dear Céline. Léonie confided to her:

“How can I describe my happiness in receiving the beautiful Holy Face; this true portrait of my Jesus has value
without price for my heart. The other day, my evening prayers were too short because I had this treasure before
my eyes. In contemplating his divine features, I recollected myself with thoughts of his Passion and my soul
was filled with pain and love.”

The Hidden Sister of a Canonized Saint.

We should note how close these sentiments are to those expressed by St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. With
what enthusiasm Léonie followed the triumphant phases of her sister’s beatification and canonization.
Page 43 of 57
It was with touching delicacy that Reverend Mother Agnes of Jesus kept us up to date with all the associated
developments. In turn, each of the three Reverend Mothers of the period did everything possible to celebrate
with appropriate ceremony the glory of the celestial Miracle Worker. With a heart filled with supernatural joy,
our well-loved Sister experienced vivid emotion the ceremonies in our Chapel and joined in the hymns of
thanksgiving towards the child beloved by the entire world. On this occasion, the Reverend Mothers would
allow Léonie to receive greetings from all; we were edified by the charming simplicity with which she accepted
our congratulations and allowed herself to be crowned with roses.

Thanks to the generosity of the Carmel of Lisieux, one of our extern sisters was assigned the favor of
representing at the Canonization in Rome our dear Sister Françoise-Thérèse. Because of her veneration of the
head of the Church, Léonie asked her to kiss the Holy Father’s slipper. When so requested by the Bishop, Pius
XI allowed it responding with a smile, “Yes, I would like it, since it is simply an act of faith."

On the following September 28th, His Eminence Cardinal Vico, Legate of the Pope at the Lisieux celebrations,
came in his name to visit whom he called “Sister Léonie” and who brought her on the occasion of the twenty-
fifth anniversary of her profession a magnificent portrait of the Holy Father, favored with a special blessing.

After a paternal visit in our Community Room, where our Sister, kneeling at the Cardinal’s feet, touchingly
answered the well thought out questions posed by His Eminence, the Cardinal with an entourage of prelates,
went to the garden to bless a beautiful statue of the new Saint given to us by the Carmel of Lisieux.

Happily returning to her humble place in the Community, our edifying Sister had no dreams other than to
deepen an intimate life with God. Now growing older, she wrote to her well-loved Pauline—whom she called
her soul’s little mother:

“I see always that all human honors are nothing but vanity and afflictions of spirit, and I am pleased as my life
vanishes before me; it passes completely in our cell, working in the laundry with the linens, reciting lines from
Page 44 of 57
Thérèse’s poetry about her little way, so delightful and always good to experience.”

Her charity was inspired by her Canonized little sister whom she called her “beloved [spiritual]
director.” From her, she derived the grace to accept her own deficiencies with joy, and she always asked her to
help her complete her tasks despite her slowness and over-sensitivity, in order to realize the beautiful words, “I
wish above all to be fortified by humiliations.” These words, as she expressed to Mother Agnes, in one of her
confidences, gave her comfort because instead of suffering from a sense of inferiority and from the isolation of
the heart, she found comfort in her littleness, a sweet fruit derived from one of her spiritual retreats. It was a
pain that brushed softly against her heart. “I dream of disappearing more and more.”

Physical Decline.

In 1930, following a grippe that developed into pulmonary congestion, she became so ill that she was permitted
to receive the last Sacraments. Our fervent Sister found herself joyful in receiving this much hoped for
sacrament. She exulted in thinking that she would soon find herself in the true Homeland and she kissed her
hands that had been purified with the holy ointments. Her nights of insomnia were occasions to experience
brilliant inspirations of love that moved us deeply. She joyfully received a telegram from His Holiness Pius XI
imparting his benediction. But it was yet not time for her deliverance, and soon she began to feel better and
better.

Page 45 of 57
Our dear convalescent soon had enough strength to continue her earthly pilgrimage. During a visit with her, our
Very Honored Sister Marie-Aimee prayed on her knees before an image of St. Thérèse asking, “I pray to you,
kind Saint, that you leave your dear Léonie with us longer, do not take her yet.” This ardent prayer, united with
the prayers of the community, was granted by Heaven. Our devoted nurse, our unforgettable Sister Joseph-
Gabriel de Formigny, would write to the Carmel a most admiring testimony: “What an edifying example Sister
Françoise-Thérèse has given us during her great suffering! How many times have I had occasion to admire her
faith, her love for the Good God, her delicacy; she brings honor to our dear little Saint, whose virtues she
follows. What joy for us now that she is out of danger and all of our efforts have been richly rewarded.”

His Eminence Cardinal Suhard, then bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux, wrote to Reverend Mother Agnes of Jesus
after visiting our virtuous Sister:
“I visited Caen, where I imparted my blessing upon Sr. Françoise-Thérèse. The dear patient is truly in the
hands of God, and, from the short conversation I had with her, I am truly edified. It is like an echo of Paradise
to live in such an atmosphere.”

How joyful we were when our venerable Sister returned to our midst. So many more times were we able to
appreciate her generosity within her circumstances of physical suffering. We were amazed at her endurance as,
with increasing age, her frailties increased, making it ever more difficult for her to maintain the religious duties
of our Order. She never complained, although her walk became heavy and movements less agile, humming
cheerfully as she went along and continuing to bring joy to our recreations.

The most salient characteristic of her moral character was the virtue of religion. Her love for the Church was
manifested in her profound respect for its representatives, above all the Sovereign Pontiff whose teachings she
studied in depth. All clerics were subjects of veneration for her. She prayed for them and loved her youngest
Sister’s prayer:

I wish that the soul of a Priest

Resembled the Angels from Heaven
Oh, I wish that he could be reborn
Before climbing to the altar
In order to bring about a miracle
It is needed that, filled with burning love,
Souls close to the tabernacle,
Will be inflamed day and night.

She saw equally in all her Superiors the Divine authority and would show them filial respect, being very
mindful of their wishes, and she was most attentive to all the details involving her employment.

Page 46 of 57
She could not understand why one would place oneself in opposition to the directives of the Vicar of Jesus
Christ or his delegates, and she strongly criticized the enemies of the Church, so much so that we would tease
her about being as severe as St. Jerome.

Her reverent attitude towards prayer showed her deep piety. She particularly held dear the short preparatory
retreats before the Feast of Pentecost. In one of these, our Sister noted:

“How I savor these words: ‘The Good God works within us. He does not need to see or hear. Because I am
simply a poor soul, I ask Jesus to fill me with the Spirit of Love. In all, the little ones simply wish to love, they
have nothing to say or do because love is all. Being small is our happiness and our strength.”

The Sacred Host was the center of her life. “I would rather drag myself on my knees than forgo
Communion.” She experienced true joy before the Eucharist and she would humbly request to be allowed more

hours of adoration.

She always had her rosary in her hands as she walked through our cloisters. “It is my good fortune,” she said at
the end of her life, “to have sown so many ‘Hail Marys’.” When she said this prayer, she would stress the
words, “pray for us sinners.” She loved to invoke the Blessed Mother using her title of “Immaculate.” She

Page 47 of 57
would say that it was Mary who would give us strength in life’s battles.

Our Sister had great love and devotion to the Founders of our Order.

She said that she loved St. Francois de Sales and considered him an incomparable saint. She would ask, “what
would have become of us if our good and saintly Founder had not instituted the Visitation?” She also had great
devotion to the Sacred Heart as transmitted by St. Margaret-Mary. Above all, she loved to follow the liturgical
cycle, particularly as we approached the Feast of Christmas. After Vespers she would meditate on the dialogue
purportedly between the Child Jesus and St. Jerome:

Jesus: Jerome, what are you giving me for my birthday?

Jerome: Divine Child, I give you my heart.

Jesus: That is good, but what else will you offer me?
Jerome: I will give you all my prayers and affection.

Page 48 of 57
Jesus: Give me something else.
Jerome: I give you all that I have; all that I am.

Jesus: I wish you to give me something else.

Jerome: Divine Child, I have nothing else. What else can I give you?
Jesus: Jerome, give me your sins.
Jerome: What do you wish to do?

Jesus: Give me your sins, so that I can forgive you.

Jerome: Oh! Divine Child, you make me cry!

At the last words, she would be moved and one could see the tears in her own eyes.

She regularly received the magazine “Annales de Sainte-Thérèse de Lisieux” and would be a faithful
reader. She delighted in sharing with us the consolations that she found in these pages. She would generously
give it to other sisters and tell then to take as much time as they wished in reading it. It was very touching when
she would share consolations with sisters exiled from monasteries or those in the infirmary with passages from
the life of her Sainted little sister.

Charity in the Cloister.

Old age did not dull her affectionate nature that she would share with all. She had an extraordinary memory
and would remember the anniversaries of all the sisters. She had an uncanny ability to detect when someone
was going through a trial or other difficult experience. Once she noticed that a novice after Matins appeared to
have tears in her eyes. Léonie then accompanied the young nun to her cell door and without speaking gave her a
motherly hug. The young sister was so touched by the gesture that she seemed to forget the source of her
troubles.

Her charity was always expressed with an affable smile, always accompanied by respect. Once during World
War I, she consoled a nun who worried about her family’s exposure to the fighting. She told her that she should
not worry since little Thérèse would surely watch over and protect them. “Do not worry; I am confident that she
will.”

She was particularly solicitous towards the sick among us. Despite her own illnesses and fatigue, she always
volunteered to sit up with those seriously ill. Our Honorable Mother Jeanne-Marguerite Decarpentry was so
touched by her kind attentions to her during an illness that she would write to Reverend Mother Agnes of Jesus:

“Without doubt, you know my good Mother, that Sister Françoise-Thérèse has suffused my old age with
affectionate attentions. She comes often with a wheelchair to take me to choir and to our Community

Page 49 of 57
Assemblies with perfect punctuality and care. I ask Our Lord that he repay her. and I view with admiration the
courage with which she presses on despite old age and poor health to observe our religious duties.”

Our dear Sister Françoise-Thérèse carried out her work duties with remarkable dedication and care, and she
would place herself at the disposal of all her supervisors in all circumstances. “My sister,” she would say, “ask
whatever you like of me. I am ready to be at your disposal.” Effectively, she would render thousands of hidden
services. She would do whatever she could to alleviate the pain of others without worrying about herself.

She would carry out many offices to lighten the work load of the other sisters. Her thoughtfulness was well
known. She was vigilant to put away items that others might have misplaced and would return such items to the
right work place.

Invariably, in such cases, we would know who to turn to when something was misplaced since our meticulous
sister, without ever complaining, would make every effort to keep tidy the Lord’s house.

She would reproach herself, during the annual retreats, of moving through her work too quickly and thus
acquiring for own self free time that did not properly belong to her, and in her eyes this offended the spirit of
poverty. And thus our dear Sister wished that everything that she used would not be too pretty; she would not
accept any special indulgences, even when she was ill, and wished to simply meld into the Community without
particular attention to her person. After her death, various persons asked our Mother Superior for souvenirs of
our dear Sister, but to her embarrassment little was found to give away since Sister Françoise Thérèse kept
nothing but a few deteriorated medals, a cheap inkwell and a few printed pages on the reverse of which she had
written notes.

Page 50 of 57
Whenever she was able, our devoted Sister would take part in communal work; our novices would rejoice
whenever she would come to help wash the dishes with them, knowing that she would be a most joyous
companion and they would feel at ease in her company as she treated them with sisterly affection. She would
revel in being assigned occasionally the humblest tasks in the Monastery. She would write that becoming little
to the point of demolition was most sweet, since it was the shortest and surest way to reside in the Heart of
Jesus.
The Visitation and the Carmel of Lisieux.

Sister Françoise-Thérèse’s greatest comfort was through the exchange of thoughts and sentiments with her
beloved sisters in Carmel, all sharing the same ideal of the religious life that was lived by their Saint
Thérèse. They reciprocally encouraged each other to persevere, using for this purpose all the energies contained
within the powerful and tender affection that united them so closely. So wrote Sister Marie du Sacré-Coeur to
her little Léonie:

“Your letter was very interesting to me. I so love to know what you do, albeit small in appearance, like my
duties making provisions for the convent among the pears, potatoes, carrots, beets, etc. But in the eyes of God,
there is nothing great here below—it is all as nothing, even the greatest enterprises are as nothing. Before Him,
only if our works are filled with love, are our labors great before His eyes.”

“Thank you for your long letter that gave us so much pleasure; continue it later, since nothing can be more
interesting for us than the progress of our little Visitandine along the way of Love and total abandonment. Yes,
it is a short way and one that gives our wings air and why? We wish, like our Thérèse, to be as a grain of sand,
stepped upon by passers-by. That was the secret of her rapid rise towards the summit of the mountain of Love.”

She would quote often from the last letter that she received from Marie, Thérèse’s Godmother, just six months
before Marie herself died. How supernatural and strong was this adieu:

“They have told me that you are tired; that is not surprising at your age. We are nearing Heaven and the road
has been so long that we are feeling the effects of the voyage. Who among us will be the first to reach
Heaven? It could well be me, the most infirm. But I will not ask anything of the good God since we will not
have again the chance to aid in the saving of souls. It is well worth it to stay on earth for many more years to
suffer more if he should so wish it. Goodbye, my dear little sister, I embrace you tenderly. Have great
courage. Heaven is at end of our struggles. Your poor elder sister.”

Marie’s Death.

After Marie’s death on January 19, 1940, our venerable Sister Françoise-Thérèse seemed to hasten to the end of
her own journey. Her increasing infirmities obliged her at the beginning of winter to leave her small cell and
move into the infirmary, which, to her joy, she found had a window over-looking our Chapel. As always, she
found the means to show many acts of generosity and delicate concern towards her fellow sufferers and forgot
herself in order to comfort them.
Page 51 of 57
Always acknowledging the small services her Community happily rendered her, she thanked us with touching
embarrassment and, notwithstanding her fatigue, she would faithfully follow our Community exercises. “Yes, I
suffer very much,” she admitted, “but I do not wish to stop, I want to go on until the very end.”

In May, she became ill with influenza that weakened her perceptively and rheumatic pain that seemed to
diminish her in size. Her heart seemed to suffer from compression and she appeared to suffocate. In view of the
rapid decline, Our Very Honorable Mother took advantage of a slight improvement to give her one last joy by
celebrating her 78th birthday with an intimate gathering. She was placed near Mother in the refectory and during
recreation the Community sang verses to her. A great joy brightened the day--the Benediction of the Holy
Father, obtained through the good offices of Reverend Mother Agnes of Jesus, who had requested it the previous
year. This timely Benediction was meant to commemorate the 40th anniversary of her religious profession:

“We bless with all our heart, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of her religious profession, our dear
daughter in Jesus Christ, Françoise-Thérèse of the Visitation in Caen, and through the intercession of her
glorious Sister, St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, we ask the grace of highest sanctity together with most fervent
humility upon her.”

With all the enthusiasm of her faith, our ardent Sister kissed with respect the signature of the great Pontiff
whom she referred to as our Angelic Pastor and looked upon his portrait. She signed with trembling hand a
letter of gratitude to His Holiness Pius XII. These were the last letters she ever wrote here below. We later
learned that, upon learning of her death, the Holy Father Himself celebrated a Mass for the repose of the soul of
this fervent Catholic who so loved the Church.

The Profession Crucifix of St. Thérèse.

Our Venerable Sister Françoise-Thérèse piously preserved the Crucifix of Profession of her Canonized

youngest sister which the Carmel had lent to her for life.

Page 52 of 57
On the day of the birthday celebration, our prioress announced that she had received word from Reverend
Mother Agnes of Jesus that this precious treasure, together with a magnificent reliquary for display in our
Community, would be permanently ours. Sister Françoise-Thérèse’s obvious delight was inestimable. She had
worried that after her death the ties between these two beloved monasteries would loosen. Well aware of
Léonie’s concern, Pauline once again assured her, “Do not worry, my little Léonie, that if you leave for Heaven,
I will not often be in contact with the Visitation; moreover, I will feel a need myself to continue this closeness.”

At the end of this beautiful day, we organized a small procession to return our well-loved Sister to the infirmary
while we sang:

To Heaven! To Heaven! To Heaven!

On your sweet path,
Thérèse, lead us there!

In the arms of our Very Honorable Mother, the venerable patient, who we loved to call “our living relic,”
glowed with happiness. Clearly, she seemed to sense the coming of eternity. We were sad to see, however, how
day by day she became weaker as the Lord’s coming became imminent. She would assure us that she was
without illusions and knew that the end of her exile was at hand.

When in the midst of occasional agonizing suffering, she would console the Community:
“The Divine Thief is at the door, my Mother, but do not worry if he takes me in my sleep. I am ready; all is
done, abandoned.”

Such conversations will be continued only in Heaven. This image reminds one of the wise virgin whom with
the oil lamp in hand awaits the appearance of the Spouse. Her confidence was complete, her self-abandonment
entire; thus she was free of all worry. Without illusion, our edifying patient said that it was necessary to climb
Calvary in order to go straight to Heaven like little children do.

She wished to remain small and weak, as she confided to her sisters in Carmel:
“I wish to stay small, so that I can have the audacity to believe that I will not go to Purgatory. I ask my Jesus
that He Himself prepare me for His arrival. I do not want to be left alone so as to spoil anything.”

A few weeks before her death, in her last letter to Carmel, she again revealed:
“A thought directly from my heart--even a great sinner does not need to fear the good God. On the contrary, it
is my insignificance that gives me confidence, and I perceive with joy that I will fall from the arms of our
Beloved Mother [Superior] into the arms of our Beloved Mother in Heaven. What audacity!”

Page 53 of 57
Her Holy Death.

On June 11, the Feast of the Sacred Sacrament, she showed herself to be most happy at recreation. She
observed that day the anniversary of her baptism. She read for the Community her Canonized Sister’s Act of
Oblation to Merciful Love, reciting “I cannot receive Holy Communion as often as I desire, but, Lord, are You
not all-powerful? Remain in me as in a tabernacle and never separate Yourself from Your little “host’.” She
emphasized touchingly, without musing, without doubting, but firmly, that after that morning’s Communion
would come the Viaticum.

On the following day, our courageous Sister began to rise very early as was our custom, fearing that she would
not be in time to receive her God. A few minutes later, her infirmarian came to help her dress, but instead found
her unconscious. Our Very Honorable Mother was immediately alerted, and judged her condition to be
grave. She alerted the Chaplain to give her the Last Sacraments before celebrating Mass. The dear patient was
unable, in the subsequent hours, to communicate to us her thoughts, since she had lost the power of speech, a
great sacrifice for one of such an expansive nature.

Two “touriere” nuns from the Carmel of Lisieux arrived in the afternoon bearing the comforting intentions of
her two well-loved Carmelite sisters, both of whom felt closer to her then than ever before. Through this special
privilege, we were able to receive them in our cloister and thus give our Sister Françoise-Thérèse the
consolation of recognizing them and receiving their smiles one last time.

This state of weakness and suffering lasted for another five days. During this time, we surrounded her with
prayers and, each evening, the Chaplain would come to renew the grace of Holy Absolution, staying to bless and
preside in the recitation of the rosary prayed around the bed of our venerable infirm sister.

Each morning, after Holy Communion, our Very Reverend Mother would come to Léonie’s sick-bed to finish
her Act of Thanksgiving. Léonie would ceaselessly finger the rosary beads that came from her well-loved sister,
Marie of the Sacred Heart, which she had requested and received from the Carmel, and, in the other hand, held
the profession crucifix of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, kissing each in turn. She seemed much moved when
we sang the Saint’s verses:
To die of love;
A sweet martyrdom;
That I wish to suffer;
Oh, Cherubim tune your lyres;
Since my exile is about to end.

Page 54 of 57
Nearby, there was a reproduction of the statue of the “Virgin of the Smile” that had miraculously cured
Thérèse. She gazed upon it with an ineffable smile of her own and stretched her arms towards the image while
we murmured those familiar words:

“You who came to smile at me in the morning of my life;

Come and smile once more, Mother, at its close!”

Her life, like a beautiful evening, moved serenely towards its mortal conclusion.

Our Sister waited calmly for the blessed moment when she would receive her eternal embrace.

In imitation of her sister, the Saint, she spent several hours before the end throwing rose petals upon her crucifix
from flowers that her two Carmelite sisters had cut from the Lisieux monastery garden.

In the evening of June 16, Léonie visibly weakened, holding firmly in one hand her crucifix and rosary and a
wax Agnus Dei in the other. Our Very Reverend Mother and those sisters in attendance redoubled their prayers,
invoking above all the Most Holy Virgin under her titles of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Our Lady of the
Visitation; St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus; and her blessed parents, all of whom could not fail to assist her in this
supreme hour.

Page 55 of 57
A supernatural atmosphere was felt in the room, when all of a sudden, Léonie came out of the torpor, which had
absorbed her for the last several hours, and she bestowed a luminous smile upon our Mother Superior and the
two beloved tourieres from Carmel who knelt by the bedside. Very moved, our Mother blessed her one last time
and, in the midst of tears, embraced her in the name of Pauline and Céline; then Léonie’s eyes closed, and,
without the death rattle and after a few audible sighs, she seemed to fall asleep in the arms of the Lord. The date
was the anniversary of the apparition of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary.

The Magnificat was the prayer that our Reverend Mother was inspired to say, feeling the need to thank God for
the graces that He had bestowed upon this humble and faithful soul. Below white roses, our dear Sister
Françoise-Thérèse appeared to reflect the peace and happiness of the eternal. She had a beautiful smile that we
did not tire of contemplating.

Funeral and Burial.

On the Feast of the Sacred Heart, we had to forgo the exposition of the Sacred Sacrament in order for our Sister
to be laid out in the chancel. This was done to accommodate the demands of the faithful who asked to have an
opportunity to pray before her remains. Thousands came to join in the rosaries recited aloud by our pious
Chaplain. Many of the faithful asked that religious objects, flowers and images be touched to the crucifix of St.
Thérèse of the Child Jesus that remained in the hands of Léonie.

Page 56 of 57
Pilgrims from Lisieux had the consolation of arriving in time to view the remains of Léonie, which showed no
signs of decomposition, despite the summer heat.

On Saturday, June 21, 1941, Monsignor Germain, the Director of Pilgrimages in Lisieux, presided at her
funeral, substituting for the Bishop of Caen, who was ill. Five members of an order dedicated to St. Thérèse of
the Child Jesus attended the Requiem Mass, preceded by a cortege of twenty-nine priests. Surrounding the
coffin, they formed a beautiful and priestly crown around our Sister’s remains.

We then proceeded in procession to the burial of our Venerable Sister inside the interior crypt of the Monastery,
where we have the great privilege and consolation of being near her tomb.

Now, near the Rose of Lisieux, our deeply missed Sister, like a “Small Violet,” will look after her Visitation
family in Caen, and we hope after the Church, our Holy Order, the Carmel, and the entire world. And Raise the
Lowly! God be Blessed!
69.144 –s. 1B..N..CAEN

Page 57 of 57