Bl. Leonie Martin--the Lesser Known Sister Of St. Therese

[StGiannaismyhero!]

[color="#9932CC"][quote name='InHisLove726' post='1904581' date='Jun 28 2009, 07:24 PM']IMHO, all of the Martin sisters, along with their parents, should be recognized as saints. [/quote]

I agree, I greatly admire the whole family!

[quote name='PrayerSupporter' post='1904650' date='Jun 28 2009, 08:18 PM']Another book about her is God Made the Violet, Too by Albert H. Dolan. It's an older book (1948) but Dolan was a biographer who wrote about all of the "Martin girls"

And, yes, it is true that Leonie tried her vocation four times -- once with the Poor Clares and three times with the Visitations. St. Therese said before she died that Leonie would re-enter the Visitation order and persevere after her (St. Therese's) death.

Leonie is a great role model for those of us who are perhaps a bit of the odd-man-out, or feel overshadowed by others, or feel less capable. And she gives us great confidence in her sister's Little Way. Most of all she gives us great confidence in and love for Our Lord.[/quote]

My church has a perpetual Adoration chapel and one day I was early for youth group so I went in the chapel and read God Made the Violet Too, and it really helped me to realize that in order to change the world, I don't have to go do some big mission in Africa or anything. I can go to New York and still do just as great a work. That's something I've struggled with a lot and her absolute trust in God and doing the little things with great love, just like St Therese, and offering her sacrifices and knowing that even if it is just a small sacrifice, offering it up can and does change things.

JMJ+
~Betsy

Totus tuus Maria![/color]

[Gemma]

[quote name='InHisLove726' post='1904560' date='Jun 28 2009, 09:09 PM']I have been doing a lot of reading on Bl. Leonie Martin, partly because I have a friend that is interested in the Visitation and Carmelite orders, so I thought it would be really neat to know a little more about this lesser known sister of St. Therese. In the past day, she has really captivated me! I find it so beautiful that many writers of the shorter autobiographies call her one of the "first disciples of the Little Way." Reading her stories have really brought peace in my own vocation journey because I can really relate to her. I'm looking to acquire the book called "Leonie Martin: A Difficult Life" by Marie Baudouin-Croix to learn more about this little saint. I'm thinking of starting a novena to her, asking for assistance in my vocation and ask her to help me figure out which order God is calling me to.

For those who don't know about Bl. Leonie Martin, also known as Sr. Francoise-Therese, she was a Visitandine nun in the monastery of Caen, France. She entered and left twice, but entered for the third and final time in 1899, after the death of her father and St. Therese. Here are some websites with more information:

[url="http://martinsisters.org/sister_francoise_therese.html"]http://martinsisters.org/sister_francoise_therese.html[/url]
[url="http://www.helpfellowship.org/Sr_Francoise-Therese.htm"]http://www.helpfellowship.org/Sr_Francoise-Therese.htm[/url]

[/quote]

There is an emerging charism in Alabama which will be (I think) a Salesio-Carmelite monastery. The monastery will be dedicated to the Holy Face, and will follow St. Therese's Little Way.

Blessings,
Gemma

[Gemma]

[quote name='Gemma' post='1940599' date='Aug 4 2009, 06:30 PM']There is an emerging charism in Alabama which will be (I think) a Salesio-Carmelite monastery. The monastery will be dedicated to the Holy Face, and will follow St. Therese's Little Way.

Blessings,
Gemma[/quote]


Sorry, I was incorrect on this. They will be Franco-Carmelite.

Blessings,
Gemma

[InHisLove726]

[quote name='Gemma' post='1941073' date='Aug 5 2009, 05:55 AM']Sorry, I was incorrect on this. They will be Franco-Carmelite.

Blessings,
Gemma[/quote]

Yes, I saw this on CAF and I'm glad there will be an emerging charism that embraces both Franciscan and Carmelite spirituality! I'm also glad that God is not calling me to found a new order. I'm completely content in joining the already-established Carmelite nuns.