Sts. Louis & Zélie Martin

Patrons of Marriage & Family Life

Feast Day July 12

The Parents of St. Thérèse

Sts. Louis & Zélie Martin were married on July 13, 1858 in Alençon, France. They were the parents of nine children. Four of them died as infants or small children. All five of their daughters that survived to adulthood entered the religious life, including our patroness, St. Thérèse the Little Flower.

They lived the ordinary life of a married couple in simple but extraordinary ways. They were canonized in 2015 by Pope Francis and are patrons for married couples and for those who have lost children.

Sts. Louis & Zélie, pray for us!

Basilica Blog
Zélie and Thérèse Martin: A Short, But Deeply Blessed Relationship
Zélie and Thérèse Martin: A Short, But Deeply Blessed Relationship

The mother of St. Thérèse, St. Zélie (baptized as Azélie-Marie, but affectionately known as Zélie)—is an appealing-to-many, newer saint (canonized along with her husband, Louis, in 2015) who offers much to mull over as the mother of the dearly-loved Little Flower. 

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Parents “more worthy of Heaven than of earth.”
Parents “more worthy of Heaven than of earth.”

Though Sts. Louis and Zélie did not intend to serve God as married people, they would eventually have nine children, four of them joining the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Lisieux, including St. Thérèse. What can we learn from these great saints?

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About the Parents of St. Thérèse
About the Parents of St. Thérèse

Declared venerable by Pope St. John Paul II in 1994 and beatified in 2008, the Martins are believed to be the first parents of a saint to be canonized.

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Upcoming Events

Sts. Louis & Zélie Room

As part of the 2025 Relics Visit, a “Sts. Louis & Zélie Room” will be created in the undercroft of the Basilica. The room will include an exhibit on the lives of these two saints and their family, a prayer space, and resources for marriage and family life.

To support the project:

Assist us by purchasing items from this Amazon wishlist:

Marriage Preparation Retreats

As examples and patrons of the vocation of marriage, Sts. Louis & Zélie are particularly tied to the retreats offered at Little Flower Basilica for those in preparation for marriage. See our schedule of retreats below: