A digital pilgrimage in the footsteps of the Martin family in Alencon - June 15, 2016

This beautiful virtual pilgrimage to Alencon (54:18) filmed by Mario Calcagno has beautiful music, unusually good camera work, and superb interviews and narration.  The audio is in French, but, even if you do not understand French, you can see places related to Saints Louis and Zelie and Saint Therese that do not often appear in online films.  For example:

  • At 36:49 the church of St. Pierre de Monsort, Louis and Zelie's parish church  1858-1871.  The building in which they worshipped has been replaced by a new church, which contains the baptismal font at which all the Martin children except Therese were baptized.
  • At 42:08, the Pavilion, the small walled garden Louis Martin purchased on the outskirts of Alencon.  He kept his fishing tackle there and went there to meditate and pray; his daughters cultivated little gardens and pick picked strawberries..
  • At 46:14 Louis and Zelie's first home on Rue Pont-Neuf, where the first eight children were born
  • At 47:18 the building where the Sisters of Providence conducted a school for the makers of Point d'Alencon lace.  Zelie and her future mother-in-law attended classes there.

If you have already visited Alencon, this film will recall the memories.  If you have not, all the more reason to view the film.