On October 1, Pope Leo XIV sent a message to Bishop Feillet of the Diocese of Séez, France, where the Church was celebrating the 10th anniversary of the canonization of Louis and Zélie Martin, parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
It has already been ten years since Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, were canonized. Reading the letter that Pope Leo XIV has just sent to Bishop Bruno Feillet1 to mark this anniversary, we cannot help but be deeply moved by its message. In it, the Pope speaks with simplicity and tenderness about the beauty of Christian marriage—not as a distant ideal—but as a concrete path to holiness, lived in the heart of everyday life.
What strikes us about Louis and Zélie, as we journey in the CANA Mission, is that they were not extraordinary in the world’s sense. They simply loved God through their ordinary actions, their responsibilities as parents, their joys and their trials. But Pope Leo emphasizes that “this seemingly ‘ordinary’ life was filled with the ‘extraordinary’ presence of God, who was at its center.” Their motto, “God first served,” says it all. It reveals a faith lived without fanfare, but with a depth and fidelity that can touch each one of us.
The Pope reminds us how valuable their example is today, in a world where marriage and family are often put to the test. Looking at them, we understand that holiness is not reserved for religious men and women or “special” people: it can be lived in a home, between a husband and wife who love each other, who pray together, who raise their children in the faith, even when life is not easy.
Every couple can find great hope in their story. It reminds us that holiness is not about being perfect, but about loving, persevering, and putting God first. The Pope invites us to do this: to put Jesus back at the center of our families, to live each day as an opportunity to love more.
At the end of his letter, Leo XIV entrusts all families to the protection of Louis and Zélie, as well as to St. Thérèse. And as we read it, we are invited to do the same: to ask them, in the silence of prayer, to help us love as they did—simply, faithfully, and holily. Yes, let us be inspired by this “luminous and inspiring model for generous souls” that is the holy couple, Louis and Zélie Martin.
1For those wondering why the Pope wrote to this particular bishop: the town of Alençon, where the Martin couple lived, is located in the diocese of Séez. It is Bishop Feillet who is presiding over the anniversary celebrations.
To read Pope Leo’s message in its totality: ici