Zélie's story makes her a girl of the XNUMXth century, heiress of her time.
Second child of Isidore Guérin and Louise-Jeanne Macé, Azélie-Marie Guérin (we only ever called her Zélie) was born on December 23, 1831 in a house in Gandelain, since attached to the town of Saint Denis sur Sarthon in the Orne where his father, a former soldier of the empire, was enrolled in the gendarmerie.
She was baptized the day after her birth in the church of Saint Denis sur Sarthon. A sister, Marie Louise preceded her by two years. She will become Sister Marie-Dosithée at the Visitation of Le Mans. A brother, Isidore will be born almost ten years later and will be the spoiled child of the family.
She herself defines in a letter to her brother her childhood, her youth as “sad as a shroud, because if my mother spoiled you, for me, you know it, she was too strict; she, though so good, did not know how to take me, so I suffered a great deal from my heart. »
This education will mark his character, his very scrupulous way of living and his spirituality.
Zélie, active woman, entrepreneur, committed to justice ...
After studying at the convent of Perpetual Adoration, rue de Lancrel in Alençon, she felt called to religious life but faced with the refusal of the superior, she turned to vocational training and successfully initiated herself into the manufacture from the famous point of Alençon. Towards the end of 1853, she therefore set up as a "manufacturer of Point d'Alençon" at 36 rue Saint-Blaise and provided work for home workers.
The quality of his work made his workshop famous. The relationships she maintains with her staff, whom she says should be loved like members of her own family, as with her neighbors and acquaintances, show us that she is always ready to fight injustice, to support those in need. . The Gospel directs all its acts.
Zélie, loving wife
In April 1858, Zélie Guérin met a young man on the bridge at Saint-Léonard whose appearance impressed her... It was Louis Martin, a watchmaker. Three months later, on July 12, 1858 at 22 p.m., their civil marriage took place and two hours later at midnight on July 13, in privacy, they exchanged their consent in the Notre-Dame church. He was received by Abbé Hurel, dean of Saint Léonard.
The love she has for her husband is expressed in her letters: "Your wife who loves you more than her life", "I kiss you as I love you"… These are not just words: their joy is to be together and to share everything that makes up daily life under the gaze of God.
Zélie, a fulfilled and tried mother
From 1860 to 1873, 9 children will be born in the home of Martin of which 4 will die in infancy.
Zélie will experience joy and suffering at the rhythm of these births and deaths. Thus we can read in his correspondence: “I love children madly, I was born to have them…”.
Then, after the birth of Thérèse, his youngest daughter; “I have already suffered a lot in my life”. The education of his daughters mobilizes all the energy of his heart. Confidence was the soul of this education. For her children, she wishes the best… to become saints! This does not prevent him from organizing parties, games… we have fun in this family!
Zelie, sick and still confident
From 1865, a gland in the right breast which degenerated into cancer caused great suffering to Zélie. “If the Good Lord wants to heal me, I will be very happy, because deep down, I want to live; it costs me to leave my husband and my children. But on the other hand, I say to myself: if I don't recover, it's because it will perhaps be more useful to them if I go away”.
On August 28, 1877 at half past midnight, Zélie died surrounded by her husband and her brother.
Let Thérèse have the last words:
“I loved Mom's smile, her deep gaze seemed to say: 'Eternity delights me and attracts me, I'm going to go to the blue sky to see God! »
