Stephanie (with the Institute of Theresian Studies)
From July 15 to 26, 2024, around thirty of us, from all over the world, took advantage of our vacation to delve deeper into the writings of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, particularly those from the year 1896. This session of the IET (Institute of Thérèse Studies) was taking place in Lisieux, so we were not far from Alençon.
On Saturday, July 20th, we went to Alençon to get to know the Martin family better. For some of us, it was the first time...
In the morning, we were welcomed into the birthplace of little Thérèse. At noon, we attended mass in the chapel overlooking the room where "the greatest saint of modern times" was born. After a picnic in the garden of Maison Martin, we visited Alençon "in the footsteps of Louis and Zélie Martin." We were able to discover the Notre-Dame Basilica where Saints Louis and Zélie Martin were married and where little Thérèse was baptized. Then Louis Martin's watchmaking shop, the Pavilion where, as a young man, Louis Martin liked to spend time alone to meditate. We saw the bridge where Louis and Zélie met, and finally, we were able to visit Saint-Pierre Church, where the Martin children were baptized.
On the way back to Lisieux, we stopped in Semallé. Rose Taillé's house is very different from the Martins' house. And yet, inside, attentive to what our guide was explaining, we could not help but be moved by this simple house.
We thank you for the welcome we received and for our various guides.
Stephanie Couriaud