Before they met, both felt called to religious life. Louis Martin wanted to become a monk, but he was not accepted because he struggled with Latin. Marie-Azelie “Zelie” Guerin hoped to become a religious sister, but the Sisters of Charity did not accept her because of her fragile health. God was leading them to a different vocation: marriage.
They married on July 12, 1858, in Alencon, France, where they built their home and started their family. Louis worked as a watchmaker and jeweler, while Zelie ran a successful lace-making business. Their home was built on prayer, hard work, and love for God. They had nine children, but four died while still young. Their five surviving daughters all became nuns, including Saint Therese of Lisieux, better known as the Little Flower.
Their family life was filled with both joy and sorrow. Zelie died of breast cancer at the age of 45. Louis continued raising their daughters with faith and love. Later, he moved with his daughters to Lisieux, France, where Therese would grow up and answer God’s call. In his later years, Louis’ health declined, but he remained close to God until the end of his life.
On October 18, 2015, Pope Francis canonized Louis and Zelie together, making them the first married couple to be canonized as a couple in Church history.
Today, Saints Louis Martin and Marie-Azelie Guerin are the patron saints of married couples, parents, and families. Their home was not free from sorrow, but it never stopped being a place where faith, hope, and love continued to grow.
Let’s keep learning the saints’ way—day by day.
⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ
