A Holy Home

Get to know Louis and Zelie Martin—the married couple who raised a saint, and then later became saints themselves!

- Yen Cantiga

On October 18, 2015, Pope Francis canonized Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, the first married couple to be canonized on the same day. In his homily, Pope Francis acknowledged that the Martins cultivated such love and faith in their home, that it encouraged all five daughters to offer their lives in service to God—including one of the most well-loved saints in the world, St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

SACRED HOUSEHOLD

Early on, Louis and Zelie instilled a deep Catholic faith in their children. Zelie even wanted her children to become saints! While the family was a classic example of French bourgeoisie, what set them apart was the way they lived their life during a time when the Church struggled to carry tradition into the industrial revolution of the 19th century.

The couple provided their family with a comfortable life. In fact, Zelie’s lacemaking business was doing so well that Louis, a watchmaker, sold his own business to help his wife, acting as the manager and salesman of the company.