Marie ‘Leonie’ Martin
“God’s little Violet”
Léonie Martin born 1863. A struggling soul whom kept trying to be a Saint despite her difficult personality. She is currently being considered for sainthood.
Léonie and her sisters were all named after Our Lady with the name Marie, yet were all known by their second names. Léonie, sister of St Therese of Liseux, was the daughter of blessed Louis and Azelie (Zelie), and the third eldest of nine children.
At the young age of two Léonie caught whooping cough. On her behalf Leonie’s sister, whom was a nun from the order of the Visitation, Sister Marie-Dosithée, prayed a novena to St Margaret Mary and miraculously Léonie was healed. She prayed “if Léonie is to become a Saint one day then cure her” (2).
Léonie struggled with applying herself to her school work yet interestingly, applied herself when her mother taught her catechesis of first Holy Communion.
She was the odd one out in her family, a little misunderstood and did not have the best relationships with her siblings due to her quick tempered nature, yet this did heal over time with maturity and a deepening of faith. She was known to have a tough temperament which she overuled and conquered.
Léonie had a challenging time in her life, one of many, where she was beaten by a maid, which Zelie did not find out about it until later on (2).
Léonie was witness to an apparition of Our Lady at the bed of St Therese of Liseux, whom was then cured (2). Yet Léonie could not see Our Lady as her eyes were too full of tears.
She had three attempts to join the convent when at the age of 35 she finally was allowed to become Sister Françoise-Thérèse of the Monastery of the Visitation at Caen (2).
She had a special devotion to St. Francis De Sales and his spirituality, doing “all through love, nothing through force” (St Frances).
She was under the spiritual direction of her sister, St Therese of Liseux, whom gave Léonie her last piece of direction;
“If you want to become a saint, it will be easy, because in the depths of your heart the world means nothing to you…I mean that while you give yourself devotedly to external works, you have but one goal: to give pleasure to Jesus and to be united more intimately with Him.” (2).
Bishop of Bayeux-Lisieux, granted the imprimatur for this prayer below so that Leonie may be declared venerable. I myself have begun a Novena to Léonie for a specific intention with this prayer (source below):
Dear Léonie our Sister,
You have already intervened with God on our behalf,
and we would like to be able to pray to you officially,
Come to the aid of parents who risk losing a child,
as you nearly died at a very young age.
Continue to uphold the families where different generations
have problems living together in peace.
Enlighten youth who question their future and hesitate to commit.
Show to all the way of prayer which permits you to bear your limitations
and your difficulties with confidence,
and to give yourself to others.
Lord, if such is your will, deign to accord us the grace that we ask of you
through the intercession of your servant Léonie,
and inscribe her among the number of the venerable of your Church.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
If you would like to know more search these webpage. I found I felt a real liking for Léonie and found encouragement in her life struggles, that no matter our temperament we can all attain Sainthood.
Sources:
(1) http://leoniemartin.org/
(2) http://www.martinsisters.org/sister_francoise_therese.html
Originally posted 2015-02-10 04:17:20.
The news that Leonie Martin is being considered for sainthood is a joy for the whole Church. There is much more information, including photographs of the Martin family, available at leoniemartin.org.