One of our friends visited Lisieux last year, and her photos are amazing! In honor of St. Louis and St. Zelie Martin’s feast day on July 12 and St. Therese’s on October 1, check out the home of this amazing family!
Every Catholic dreams of traveling the world to visiting the fountain at Lourdes, of hiking the Camino in Spain, or praying at Saint Peter’s in Rome! Of course, not all of us are in the position to go to the far reaches of the world, but that doesn’t stop us from daydreaming…
However, one of our dear friends, Stacy, recently visited Carmel in Lisieux, France (the home of St. Therese), and she shared some amazing photos from that trip with us! Thanks to her generosity, you and your family can catch a glimpse of this amazing experience, all from the comfort of your living room.
Here is a statue of St. Therese outside her childhood home (Les Buissonnets). Look at all the photographs of loved ones at her feet! Pilgrims and faithful Catholics place them there and ask Therese to pray for them. They must have come from all over the world! How cool to know that devotion to St. Therese spreads across the globe?
Now this is a real treat. This is the Martin’s dining room at Les Buissonnets. The original furniture is still intact, too! Therese lived here from age four and a half (after her mother’s death) until age fifteen (when she left to enter Carmel). Apparently Therese ate her last meal at home (before moving to Carmel as a novice) in this same room!
How cool is this? This is the altar in the crypt underneath the Basilica of Saint Therese of Lisieux in Carmel. Look at that gorgeous mosaic behind the tabernacle!
And in the same basilica, this is where the relics of St. Louis and St. Zelie Martin are today (Therese’s parents, who are in heaven with her)! Did you know that her parents were the first married couple to be canonized together? That happened on Oct 18, 2015. And–did you know that the cause for canonization of her sister, Leonie, is also underway? Wow–what a family!
Only a short walk from the basilica is Carmel de Lisieux, where cloistered Carmelites still live and pray to this day! These are Therese’s relics, housed in a chapel at the convent she so loved. Notice how her tomb is surrounded by flowers, and how the Virgin of the Smile is standing right above her! Yes, it’s the same exact statue that stood in Therese’s home at Les Buissonnets…the very one which cured her of her mysterious childhood illness!
Not all of us can travel to France to celebrate, but ALL of us can learn more about this amazing saint! Check out the video below to learn more about St. Therese Martin!
Need ideas on celebrating the the Martin Family (St. Louis, St. Zelie, and St. Therese)?
**1** SHARE this blog with your family, friends, or students!
**2** If you don’t already own our Glory Story on St. Therese, be sure to listen to a free audio sample on our website! Also, check out our Therese coloring pages, sacrifice beads, and more at www.holyheroes.com/therese!
**3** Also, check out the “Fall Feast Day Crafts and Activities” board on the Holy Heroes Pinterest page…we have a whole section dedicated to St. Therese!
**NEW!!** We now have a St. Therese study guide (<<click there!) that you can use along with our St. Therese Glory Story (which is available on CD and for MP3 download). We hope it’s a great way to get a discussion going after your kids listen to the Glory Story! Tell us what you think (we’re going to make more for the other Glory Stories!).
