Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena
Contents
Show HideJoin us in prayer! This novena starts on July 3rd! Or you can pray it any time.
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin were the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux and her four sisters. They are also the first married couple to ever be canonized together!
Let’s use this novena to ask this holy married couple for their intercession in our own lives!
About Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin
St. Louis Martin was the third of five children. He initially wanted to pursue a religious vocation as an Augustinian monk. But when his poor academic skills prevented him from entering the monastery, he came to see that religious life was not his vocation.
St. Zelie Martin grew up in a household that was somewhat repressive, but despite this she developed a strong faith life. Like Louis, she tried to pursue a religious vocation. She attempted to enter the Sisters of Charity, but the mother superior rejected her.
Louis became a watchmaker, and Zelie took up the craft of lace-making. Both of these trades were services to wealthy people. Louis and Zelie grew in holiness as they worked in the years leading up to their meeting and eventual marriage.
One day before they met for the first time, Louis and Zelie passed one another on a bridge. According to some sources, the two of them knew then and there that they were meant to be married.
Louis and Zelie married three months after they first met. For the first ten months of their marriage, they lived as brother and sister until a priest advised them to reconsider.
The two of them eventually had nine children, though four of their children died very young. Of the five children that lived to adulthood, one was St. Therese of Lisieux. The other four girls entered religious life as well. Middle daughter, Leonie Martin, is currently a candidate for sainthood too.
The family life that Louis and Zelie created was both holy and joyful. They frequently attended daily Mass and read spiritual books as a family. But they made sure their life had plenty of games and celebrations as well.
The Martin parents attempted in all things to lay a foundation of holiness for their children. As they were the first influences on St. Therese, it’s quite likely that the start of her famous “Little Way” began in their home.
At age 45, Zelie developed breast cancer. She continued to trust in God as she suffered, despite feeling reluctant to leave her family behind.
She eventually died from the disease, when she and Louis had been married for nineteen years. Louis continued on alone in the task of raising his children to be holy, staying faithful himself and remaining thankful that God had given him nineteen years of joy with Zelie.
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin’s Feast Day: July 12
Why Pray the Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin Novena?
While there isn’t an official patronage for Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, they are great saints to pray to for help in marriage or family life. You can ask them for help in finding a holy spouse, or for help in faithfully carrying out the duties of a spouse or parent.
You can ask for their intercession if your child is discerning religious life, as they had five children become nuns. They’re also great saints to pray to for help with anxiety, depression, or mental disorders, as Louis suffered from declining mental health in his later years. You can also pray to them while grieving the loss of a child or spouse, or if your spouse is ill.
You can pray the Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena for any intention!
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena Prayers
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena - Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to follow their example of openness to Your will, that we might be as ready to follow Your call as they were.
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you both desired to give yourself entirely to God in a religious vocation. You loved Him so dearly that you wanted to devote your life to Him in a special way.
But God showed you both that His plan for you was different. When you saw that He was calling to you a different vocation than you had planned, you readily gave yourselves to Him in a different way.
Pray for me, that I may be as open to God’s will as you were. Help me to be ready to do even the unexpected when God asks me to.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena - Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to follow their example of holy and joyful family life, and to spread that spirit of joy and holiness throughout the world.
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you knew how important family life is in the lives of children and in our world. You knew that a holy and happy life in the family would help your children to grow into holy adults. And you worked hard to ensure that your family was a place of virtue, joy and love.
Please pray for all families in our world. Intercede for us, as we struggle against the evil that is bent on destroying the family, that we may all persevere in keeping our families holy and full of joy.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena - Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to follow their example of virtue throughout the daily toils and works of life with our family members.
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you were faithful and virtuous as you carried out your responsibilities as spouses to one another and parents to your children. You loved one another and your children for the love of God.
Life in your home wasn’t always easy, but you persevered in your love throughout both the joyous and the difficult moments of family life.
Please pray for me and my family members, as we carry out the obligations of our own family life. Intercede for us, that we may be as saintly in our family life as you were.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena - Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to follow their example of virtue, to imitate the holiness they lived throughout the joys and struggles of parenthood.
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you brought nine children into the world. You faithfully endured the trials of pregnancy and birth. You raised five of your children to adulthood, and you created a holy, happy home for them.
Caring for children and helping them grow into holy adults is no light task, and you carried out your obligations toward your children lovingly, even in the difficult moments of parenthood.
Please pray for me, that I may be faithful even in my life’s trials. Help me to carry out my duties as faithfully as you did in the raising of your children.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena - Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to follow their example of virtue, even in the moments of loss or deep sadness, when it might feel very difficult to stay faithful.
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, much of life in your family was joyful, but you also suffered deeply as parents. On four occasions, the children you had conceived and born passed from this world. You must have loved these children deeply, and you must have hoped to raise them to become holy adults.
Despite the pain and suffering you surely felt at these deep losses, you never lost your faith in God. You did not harbor resentment toward God but instead remained virtuous in spite of your sorrow.
Please pray for me, that I may be as virtuous as you amidst the deep pains and trials I might experience in my own life.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena - Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to imitate the virtue they practiced that laid the foundation for all five of their daughters to enter religious life.
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you raised five daughters to adulthood and you fostered in them a deep love for God. You so formed your daughters in the Faith that all of them desired to give themselves fully to God. You impressed upon them the value of the Faith, and your example and formation led them all to become brides of Christ in religious life.
Please pray for me, that I may love God with as deep and inspiring a love as you did. And pray for all men and women whom God is calling to serve Him in a religious vocation, that they may be as willing to answer His call as your daughters were.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena - Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to imitate their virtue in the small, mundane moments of daily life that laid the foundation for their daughter St. Therese’s famous Little Way to holiness.
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you knew that your daily life of work could become a means of holiness and sanctification. You yourselves practiced virtue in your daily work, and you raised your daughters to do the same.
Guided by your example and instruction, your daughter Therese would grow up to become a Doctor of the Church who has taught generations of the faithful how to sanctify the little moments of their days.
Please pray for me, that I may never miss the opportunity to practice virtue in the small, mundane moments of my daily life.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena - Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to imitate this holiness in our family lives in such a way that we help others around us to see how holy and important marriages and family are.
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you knew that marriage and family are great gifts from God, for the individual and for society. You treated your spousal and familial responsibilities with seriousness, knowing that God had entrusted you with much in your family life. Because of your care and virtue, you were able to make your family a domestic church, as God intends.
Please pray for us, that we may always treat marriage and family with the respect it deserves, and that our practice of virtue in family life will help spread reverence for it throughout society.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena - Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to imitate their virtue in the face of trials and heavy burdens, even when we feel as if those trials are too difficult to bear.
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, after you had already suffered much from the loss of four of your children, you suffered still more when Zelie developed breast cancer. Zelie endured much physical pain, and you both suffered in the knowledge that you would soon be separated from one another in her death. But you did not despair or harbor resentment toward God. Instead, you remained strong in your faith and continued in the path of virtue as spouses and parents.
Please pray for me, that I may remain faithful throughout the deep trials and heavy burdens of my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.