A portrait of St. Louis Martin
St. Louis Martin
August 22, 1823 – July 29, 1894
Feast
July 12 · XIX c.
Patron of
Married couples · Parents of large families · Widowers · The bereaved · Those suffering from mental illness
Order
Layman / Father of St. Thérèse
French watchmaker and father of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, four other religious daughters, and four children who died in infancy. With his wife Zélie he raised his family in deep piety and devotion, attending daily Mass and treating the poor as honored guests. After Zélie's death he raised his daughters alone with great tenderness, suffering in his final years from a debilitating mental illness which he bore with profound surrender to God's will. He and Zélie are the first married couple canonized together in modern history.
Life & Times
Also known as: Louis-Joseph-Aloys-Stanislaus Martin; Father of St. Thérèse · Born: August 22, 1823 · Died: July 29, 1894 · From: Bordeaux; Alençon; Lisieux, Normandy.
Patronage
St. Louis Martin is invoked as the patron of married couples, parents of large families, widowers, the bereaved, those suffering from mental illness. Those in these callings or circumstances often turn to this saint in prayer.
“God is good to us. He gave us so charming a child.”— Letter from Louis Martin, on the birth of Thérèse (January 1873)
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About Catholic Saints
Catholic saints, including St. Louis Martin, are Christians whom the Catholic Church has formally recognized as having lived lifes of heroic holiness and who now dwell with God in heaven, offering an example of faith for those still on their earthly journey. Catholics don't worship saints, but ask them to pray to God with us and for us — much as one might ask a trusted friend to pray for them — trusting that those closest to God can join their voices to ours before Him. Discover more saints in the Catholic Shop Saints section.