"In the footsteps of St. Therese in Alencon," a video novena in English to prepare for the centenary of St. Therese's beatification on April 29, 2023

image of the Martin family house in Alencon to promote the novena for the centenary of St. Therese's beatification


I’m delighted to announce that, to celebrate the centenary of the beatification of St. Therese on April 29, the Shrine at Alencon is offering a novena in English (presented by video). I post below the invitation the Shrine sent me. Note that the videos will be made available day by day. You may also send electronically your petitions or your thanksgiving to be placed in little Therese’s cradle, and may request that a candle be lit near her relics in Alencon. (For the lighting of a candle, an online donation is requested; pull down the arrow for a partly English instruction).

Novena - In the footsteps of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus
From April 21 to 29

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the beatification of St. Therese on April 29, we invite the English-speaking friends of the Shrine of Alençon to join in a novena of prayer in English.

From April 21 to 29, prepare for this anniversary with this novena "In the footsteps of Little Therese in Alençon."

Each day, find a video on the shrine's YouTube channel with a prayer intention, a bit of history, a prayer, and an action to take during the day.

Do not hesitate to accompany your prayer by placing an intention in Therese's cradle and a candle next to her relics at the Alençon Shrine by clicking here.

Do not hesitate to share this novena with those around you!

For the shrine's YouTube channel, click here

To accompany your prayer by placing an intention in Therese's cradle and a candle next to her relics at the Alençon, click here.

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 Pray with the Shrine on Youtube

Sanctuaire Louis et Zélie d'Alençon, 50 rue Saint Blaise 61000 Alençon
02 33 26 09 87 - sanctuaire@louisetzelie.com - www.louisetzelie.com

"Death of a mama," St. Zelie Martin's death, August 28, 1877

St. Zelie Martin’s original tombstone, from her first grave in the cemetery of Notre Dame Church in Alencon.

St. Zelie Martin’s original tombstone, from her first grave in the cemetery of Notre Dame Church in Alencon.

Please click to read the article “Death of a mama,” which appeared in Thérèse de Lisieux – n ° 829 – January 2003. Our thanks to the Shrine at Lisieux for permission to translate it and publish it in English.

Happy feast of Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, July 12, 2021

Composite photograph of Zelie and Louis Martin

Composite photograph of Zelie and Louis Martin

This is to wish all our readers many blessings on the feast of Saints Louis and Zelie Martin! May they come to the aid of all the persons and families who have suffered this year as a result of sickness, death, war, natural disasters, and other trials.

For a feast-day treat, I invite you to visit my slide show “The World of Saint Therese and Her Family,” founded on much research and including more than 350 photos, some never before published. Through this photo show you can walk through the lives of Louis and Zelie and of Therese.

Note: The slide show is most effective in fullscreen. If you have a projector, you are welcome to project the slide show from this Web site for groups and to add any commentary you may wish to make while displaying the photos. This is a superb visual introduction to the life of the Martin family. Permission is not given to copy the images, but I’m delighted to see them projected from the site. Please remember in your prayers the generous photographers and others, both French and American, who helped me to obtain these images during my visits to France. Thank you.