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A Sister of St. Thérèse: Servant of God, Léonie Martin – Bearer of Hope with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Episode 15
In our final episode of this series, we explore the last letters of Léonie to her surviving sisters, Pauline and Celine, and get an insight into how she is preparing herself for death.
We hear the details of her passing, through the experience of her Visitation sisters, via an obituary. It touches upon how she had followed the “little way” of her saintly sister, St. Therese, until the very end.
While this series has concluded, the story of Leonie is not over! In fact, one might say it has just begun! Fr. Gallagher and Kris take a look back on Léonie’s life and provide resources where one can learn more about her cause.
Servant of God, Léonie Martin, pray for us!
Fr. Gallagher says, “Léonie’s life holds a significant story because she was the forgotten one; she was the one who was in the last place; she was the one who was less gifted than the others. Today we would call her a ‘problem child,’ and we’ll see that she certainly was the source of great anxiety to her parents, especially to her mother, Zélie, who loved her dearly.”
As a child, Léonie suffered from severe illnesses and physical maladies that would plague her entire life. She also struggled with understanding social clues and interactions and with behaving appropriately. Conventional educational models of the day failed to meet her particular needs, and she was labeled “developmentally delayed.” Yet those who knew her well described her as having a “heart of gold.”
Who was Léonie and what were her struggles? Why has her cause of canonization begun? Father Gallagher, along with Kris McGregor, answers these questions and explains why Léonie is “a bearer of hope” in this landmark series.
A resource used for this series
Images in this post of the Martin/Guerin family are used with permission from the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux website for strictly non-commercial use. We encourage you to visit the website for more information on this remarkable family.
For more series Fr. Timothy Gallagher podcasts, visit here
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola.” For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org
This was a wonderful podcast series; thank you for this gift! I looked forward to every episode, and I heartily look forward to more wonderful podcasts from Father Gallagher and Kris.
Me too!
This is so beautiful. I remember reading somewhere that shortly after Therese’s death, saw her luminous hand near her breviary. Not sure where I read that…but very lovely to think about. Aren’t they a wonderful family…Little Holy Women…like the famous “Little Women” by Alcott.