Mary and Rose
August 2020
"A letter in the reliquary of Saints Louis and Zélie..."
Originally from the Paris region, I converted to the Catholic faith around 2006. Reading the story of Marie-Alphonse Ratisbonne (The Convert of the Miraculous Medal), which attributes its conversion to Notre-Dame des Victoires, led me to the famous Parisian basilica.
This visit was a delight. It was there that I saw a statue of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus for the first time: it was like a stroke of heart.
When I learned, through reading, the very strong link between the Martin family and this basilica, it made me want to return there regularly.
In 2008, I went to the celebration mass for the 150rd wedding anniversary of the Martin spouses and was dazzled.
I visited some of their places of life, and on July 12, 2009, I returned to pray near their relics. I wrote a letter in which I asked, through the intercession of Zélie and Louis, for the grace to marry and have children. I placed it in their reliquary.
At that time, I was registered on the Christian dating site Theotokos. On September 12 of that same year, via this site, I met for the first time the one who would become my husband. We first got to know each other from a distance (written exchanges, regular phone calls) then we prepared for this meeting by making a novena each on our own. A year later, we were married!
It was a late marriage and I didn't have much hope of having a child. But the prayer to Saints Louis and Zélie Martin produced a new miracle: my little Rose, who is now ten years old.
A few years ago, relations with Rose were difficult. With my husband, the three of us went on a pilgrimage to the monastery of the Visitation of Caen.
We had a novena of masses celebrated there for the healing of our family relationships, while praying a novena to Léonie in parallel. Peace has returned.
Beyond the power of their intercession, I admire the Martin family, the life they led. They went to mass every morning on weekdays. I would like to do the same! But with work, transport, schedules, all the daily tasks… I rarely have the time or the energy to take this trouble. They took it.
In addition to Rose, I have three children who went to Heaven before they were born. It was great suffering. I prayed to Saints Louis and Zélie and Saint Thérèse, and made a pilgrimage.
During this pilgrimage, I saw a souvenir painting that Thérèse had made with photos of her four brothers and sisters who died in infancy.
For the Feast of the Holy Innocents 1896, she had written a poem entitled To my Little Brothers in Heaven :
“Happy little Children, with what tenderness
The King of Heaven
Once blessed you and showered you with caresses
Your joyful brows!
Of all the Innocents you were the figure
And I foresee
The goods that in Heaven gives you without measure
The King of Kings.
You have contemplated the immense riches
Heaven
Before knowing our bitter sorrows (…)
Together you play with the little angels
Near the Altar (…)
It is you that the Lord gave me as a model
Holy Innocents
I want to be your faithful image down here
Small children.
Ah! deign to obtain for me the virtues of childhood.
your candor,
Your perfect surrender, your lovable innocence
Charm my heart…”
When I got home, I made a souvenir painting myself. All this brought me much consolation. It allowed me to apprehend the eternal life of my children in Heaven, and to give them a place within our family.
In my suffering, I thought of the even greater suffering of the Martins: because they had known these children, had held them in their arms. They had loved them for months or years.
I prayed to Zélie, saying to myself: “She's been there, she can understand me. Zélie is both a saint and a mother, and this is important in my relationship with her, in the comfort she brings me.
My husband, restrained by his profession, was unable to accompany us, Rose and me, during these holidays at the sanctuary. But we plan to come back with him, especially for the Fête des Familles in October.
During these “spiritual holidays”, I discovered a new facet of Saint Louis Martin: how he placed at the center of his life not only God, but also his wife and children. Even putting his own professional life on hold to better devote himself to them!
After Zélie's death, he raised his daughters alone and devoted himself to them.
The more I meet Louis and Zélie, through pilgrimages and through readings, the more I discover new elements of their lives that meet my concerns, and feel called to pray to them.
I leave this trip taking in my bag, to place it in our living room, this beautiful icon that touched me, because all the Martin children are represented there!
