Saint Therese of Lisieux: A Gateway

Celine Martin as a young girl

April 28 is the birthday of Celine Martin, St. Therese's sister.  Celine, the eighth child of St. Louis and St. Zelie Martin, was born on April 28, 1869 in the house at rue Pont-Neuf in Alencon where all the Martin children except Therese were born.  She was baptized on September 5, 1869 at St. Pierre de Monsort, which was the Martin family's parish church in Alencon until they moved to rue St. Blaise in 1871.  She was three years and eight months old when, on January 2, 1873, her baby sister, Therese, was born.

Celine and Therese were remarkably intimate; Therese called Celine "the sweet echo of my soul."  They were separated for six years, from 1888, when Therese entered the Carmelite monastery, until 1894, when Celine herself entered.  A hundred years ago, on April 26, 1892, Therese sent to Celine, for her 23rd birthday, a double daisy (one stem with two flowers) with an important letter explaining the double daisy as a symbol of their two souls knit into one. (from the Web site of the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux).   

When Celine was in Lisieux, she saw her Carmelite sisters in the speakroom every week.  In a week in which they had visited, the Carmelites were not usually allowed to write to her, so many of their letters date from times Celine was on vacation or otherwise away.  But, when her birthday approached, Celine used to abstain from visiting that week in order to be able to receive a letter from her sisters.  Fortunate for us!  

Learn more about Celine Martin.