THE MARTIN SISTERS (SISTERS OF ST. THERESE)

The four other children in the Martin family who reached adulthood were:

• Marie, who was born February 22, 1860, was a Carmelite in Lisieux with Therese.  Her religious name was Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart; she died January 19, 1940, at age 79.
  
  
• Pauline, who was born September 7, 1861, was a Carmelite in Lisieux with Therese.  Her religious name was Mother Agnes of Jesus;  she died July 28, 1951, at age 89.
  
  
• Léonie, who was born June 3, 1863,  was a Visitation sister at Caen (entered at age 35 after several previous unsuccessful attempts).  Her religious name was Sister Françoise-Thérèse; she died June 16, 1941, at age 78.

• Céline, who was born April 28, 1869,  was a Carmelite in Lisieux with Therese.  Her religious name was Sister Geneviève of the Holy Face; she was the last of the sisters to die--on  February 25, 1959, at age 89.

Of the four who died, Helene (born on October 13, 1864; died on February 22, 1870) was the only one who didn't die in infancy. She died approximately four months before her sixth birthday, but she was already a very holy child. Of the four, Helene's death was especially hard on her parents and her three oldest siblings. 

Most devout Catholic families would be thrilled to have one of their children become a Priest or Religious.  Can you imagine a large family in which ALL of the children entered religious life?  Such was the case with the family of Louis and Zélie Martin: All five of their grown daughters became nuns. In a sense, Louis and Zélie were the roots of this holy family; their love, holy examples, and teachings about the Faith were like the "fertilizer"; and their five grown daughters were the "fruit they bore."

Below are some brief stories of St. Therese's sisters, from oldest to youngest, all of whom were holy in their own right.