Exposition "Story of a Family:
Louis and Zelie Martin"
St. Jacques Church, Lisieux
April through October 2008

  •  "In the intimacy of the Martin family," QuestFrance's photo story of the exhibit of items from the everyday life of the Martin family.  [I'm sorry to say this story has disappeared from the Web].

This exposition was mounted in St. Jacques Church, now an exhibit hall.  The Martins often attended weekday Mass at St. Jacques, and it was in this church in 1882 that Pauline, praying before the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, discovered her Carmelite vocation.

In honor of the beatification, on Thursday, October 16, pilgrims were invited to a special nocturnal session of the exposition, in which "Louis and Zelie Martin' and "Isidore and Celine Guerin," in period costumes, welcomed them and explained the family possessions on display.  Thanks to Susan Ehlert, we invite you to see films of this historic evening below.

"Possessions of Blessed Louis Martin, St. Therese's father"

"Uncle Isidore Guerin" points out an arrangement of Louis's hair, according to the custom of the time, shaped like flowers; the books "The Liturgical Year" by Dom Gueranger, read by the Martin family in the evenings; Louis's pocket watch, on which he engraved the name of each child at birth; a five-franc piece from 1873 that Louis kept as a souvenir of Therese's birth; and a small black traveling-bag, which Therese used as hand baggage during the pilgrimage to Rome.  Commentary in French.

 

 

 

 

"St. Therese's genealogy"

"Uncle Isidore" explains the history of Saint Therese's family.

 

"Zelie Martin's Lace"

"Zelie Martin" displays samples of her point d'Alencon lace.

Saint Therese's miniature umbrella

"Uncle Isidore" shows the miniature umbrella Therese and Celine purchased as a souvenir for their sister Pauline during their visit to Paris in 1887.

 

The silkworm spool:  Louis Martin's gift to St. Therese"

"Uncle Isidore" demonstrates a small gift Therese's father gave her.  Is it a pencil sharpener?  A music box?  No, it's a spool he made on which she could wind the silk from her silkworms.

 

"St. Therese's toy bird" 

"Uncle isidore" shows how to play with Therese's whirling bird.

 

 

"Chez Guerin: Uncle Isidore's dining room" 

"Uncle Isidore" welcomes you to his dining room, where the family of his wife's sister, Madame Maudelonde, are seated.  He calls terrifying his little niece Therese by holding her on his knee and pretending to be Bluebeard.  He points out a painting (not visible in the film) of St. John of the Cross, painted by Celine in 1894 after a statue at the Lisieux Carmel.  Celine was a prolific painter, and the Carmel has more than eighty of her paintings.