Novena of Masses in Paris (July 4-12, 2016) at the Basilica of Our Lady of Victories for the first feast of Louis and Zelie Martin as canonized saints

Novena of Masses for the feast of Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin

If you have the good fortune of being in Paris in July in the days leading up to the first feast of Louis and Zelie Martin as canonized saints, please participate in the novena to them at the Church of Our Lady of Victories.  This "Novena for Families" begins on Monday, July 4, with an opening Mass at 12:15 p.m.  Fr. Jean-Marie Simar, the rector of the Shrine of Louis and Zelie Martin at Alencon, will preside.  The solemn Mass to close the novena is on Tuesday, July 12, the feast day, at 12:15 p.m.  See details in French for the novena.

Basilica of Our Lady of Victories and the Martin family

Our Lady of Victories, which has a chapel dedicated to Louis and Zelie which contains their relics, was a special shrine to the Martin family.  When Louis visited Paris, he prayed here, calling it, in a letter to Zelie, "like a little heaven on earth."  It was during a novena of Masses offered in this church in May 1883 for little Therese, when she was sick, that she was cured, and it was here that, before leaving for Rome, she was freed of scruples while praying to the Blessed Virgin.  

For those of us who are not in Paris, let's unite ourselves in prayer to this novena and pray for all the members of the human family.