Saint Louis Martin and Saint Zélie Martin
Saint Louis Martin (1823–1894) and Saint Zélie Martin (1831–1877) were a devout French married couple and the parents of nine children, five of whom entered religious life. Their youngest daughter became St. Thérèse of Lisieux, one of the Church’s most beloved saints and a Doctor of the Church.
Louis worked as a watchmaker, while Zélie was a skilled lace maker. Together they built a home founded on daily prayer, love of the Eucharist, devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and generous charity toward others.
Their marriage was marked by deep faith and mutual love, but also by many crosses, including the loss of four young children and Zélie’s death from breast cancer at the age of 45. Louis later endured declining health with remarkable patience and trust in God.
Recognizing their heroic witness to Christian marriage and family life, Pope Francis canonized Saints Louis and Zélie Martin together in 2015, making them the first married couple canonized as a couple in the history of the Catholic Church.
Today they are cherished as patrons of married couples, parents, families, and those striving for holiness in ordinary life.
Who were Saints Louis and Zélie Martin?
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin were the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. They lived a holy Catholic marriage, faithfully raised their children in the faith, and became the first married couple canonized together by the Catholic Church.
What are Saints Louis and Zélie Martin the patrons of?
They are widely invoked as patrons of:
- Married couples
- Christian families
- Parents
- Family life
- Holiness in marriage
Why should I pray the Saints Louis and Zélie Martin Novena?
This novena is an excellent prayer for those seeking God’s blessings upon their marriage, family, children, or vocation as parents. It also asks for perseverance, trust in God’s will, and growth in holiness.
Can engaged couples pray this novena?
Yes. Many engaged couples pray this novena while preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony, asking Saints Louis and Zélie to help them build a Christ-centered marriage.
Can parents pray this novena for their children?
Absolutely. Parents often ask Saints Louis and Zélie Martin to intercede for their children’s faith, vocation, protection, and spiritual growth.
How do you pray the Saints Louis and Zélie Martin Novena?
Traditionally, the novena is prayed for nine consecutive days. Each day, pray the novena prayer, present your personal intention, and conclude with one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.
What can I ask Saints Louis and Zélie Martin to pray for?
You may ask for:
- A holy marriage
- Family unity
- Faithful parenting
- Trust during suffering
- Strength in daily life
- Growth in virtue
- Peace in the home
- God’s guidance for your family
Novena Begins: July 3
Feast Day: July 12
Day 1: Saints Louis and Zélie Martin Novena
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:
Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.
Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.
Intercede for us.
(Mention your request here…)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, pray for us.
Pray One: Our Father…
Pray One: Hail Mary…
Pray One: Glory Be…
Day 2: Saints Louis and Zélie Martin Novena
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:
Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.
Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.
Intercede for us.
(Mention your request here…)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, pray for us.
Pray One: Our Father…
Pray One: Hail Mary…
Pray One: Glory Be…
Day 3: Saints Louis and Zélie Martin Novena
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:
Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.
Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.
Intercede for us.
(Mention your request here…)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, pray for us.
Pray One: Our Father…
Pray One: Hail Mary…
Pray One: Glory Be…
Day 4: Saints Louis and Zélie Martin Novena
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:
Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.
Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.
Intercede for us.
(Mention your request here…)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, pray for us.
Pray One: Our Father…
Pray One: Hail Mary…
Pray One: Glory Be…
Day 5: Saints Louis and Zélie Martin Novena
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:
Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.
Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.
Intercede for us.
(Mention your request here…)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, pray for us.
Pray One: Our Father…
Pray One: Hail Mary…
Pray One: Glory Be…
Day 6: Saints Louis and Zélie Martin Novena
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:
Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.
Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.
Intercede for us.
(Mention your request here…)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, pray for us.
Pray One: Our Father…
Pray One: Hail Mary…
Pray One: Glory Be…
Day 7: Saints Louis and Zélie Martin Novena
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:
Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.
Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.
Intercede for us.
(Mention your request here…)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, pray for us.
Pray One: Our Father…
Pray One: Hail Mary…
Pray One: Glory Be…
Day 8: Saints Louis and Zélie Martin Novena
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:
Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.
Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.
Intercede for us.
(Mention your request here…)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, pray for us.
Pray One: Our Father…
Pray One: Hail Mary…
Pray One: Glory Be…
Day 9: Saints Louis and Zélie Martin Novena
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:
Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.
Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.
Intercede for us.
(Mention your request here…)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, pray for us.
Pray One: Our Father…
Pray One: Hail Mary…
Pray One: Glory Be…
Leave us your prayers…