Martin Sister - Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face

Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face
Marie Celine Martin
"Beloved Holy Face "

"God's mercy is better than life. Yes, I rely only on God's mercy and on his compassion; I want to arouse his compassion by my poverty, for I know
that is how I will have gained all." - Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face

Page VI

FAST TRAC

Pope Pius XI sent Cardinal Pacelli to Lisieux for the solemn blessing of the Basilica on July 11, 1937. The next day, he
went to visit Marie, Pauline and Céline at the Carmel. There he had a conversation with Céline, where he echoed the
words about St. Thérèse’s mission: “Spiritual Childhood and the Little Way”. It was a blessing to hear those words
which Céline had echoed from the start. She asked him to pose for a picture and he graciously did. When the opportunity
came, Céline had a presentiment that he would be the next pope. He responded to her by saying: “Ask rather that I will
have the grace of a happy death. That’s more precious to me. May the good God be merciful and kind to me at the
supreme moment.” (C) After the death of Pope Pius XI, it was announced that Cardinal Pacelli was the next pope, Pope
Pius XII. When she heard who it was, it was with great satisfaction that she played the role of the prophet.

Marie’s lungs had filled with fluid, in December of 1939. It was a great indication that she was gravely ill. The doctors
were summoned at her bedside and their final verdict was that she was not going to make it much longer. Pauline and
Céline spent several hours a day at her bedside while she suffered. They informed Léonie of the daily events occurring
around their beloved sister.

During recreation, Céline spent her time with her sister Marie in the infirmary. It was very hard for Marie to be confined
to bed because of her independent spirit. On one of the days Céline spent with her sister, Céline spoke about their parents
Louis and Zelie heroic courage and supported their courage using Maccabees: “Oh! Do not sully our glory; do not allow it
to be tarnished! The “dear Godmother” filled with emotion, said to her devoted attendant: ‘Did you hear her! How
eloquent she was! What a beautiful soul she has! Little Thérèse saw the truth of her, even through all her faults.’ And Fr.
Pichon often said to me, “Your Céline is a vessel of election!”(C)

Marie had managed to make it to, however, on January 19, 1940 her last audible words in front of her sisters were, “I
love thee” as she kissed her crucifix. As she was praying the rosary and gazed her eyes on the statue of “Our Lady of the
Smile”, she breathed her last breath, the time had come for her soul to ascend to Heaven. Later that same day, Céline
experienced the scent of roses, when there was no explanation to be seen for the aroma of what smelled like roses, she
“understood how the death of saints is precious in the sight of God.” (C)

On January 23, 1940, a Mass was said in the Carmelite chapel and witnessed by many worshippers including two lay
sisters that were sent by the Visitation monastery in Caen representing Léonie on her behalf. Marie’s body was then
brought down to a vault located underneath the chapel where her body rests today.

As the events were reshaping Europe with Nazi Germany invading surrounding countries, it would not be long before
Nazi Germany would amass its grip on France. As news of each country’s downfall, Céline removed herself from this
world more and more and looked forward to Heaven.

Céline wrote to Pauline on April 19th. “I am drawing up for myself a little balance sheet called a precision balance, which
is used in medicine to weigh milligrams, because it is perfectly true that I am sensitive to the least milligram and that even
one milligram makes me stumble. But I know very well that it will always be like that. I still feel that I will always be like
quicksilver, doing things before I think them through. It is very unfortunate to have so little equilibrium and level-
headedness because of a host of imperfections is the consequence. But I think God likes to cope with difficulties and that
he is not embarrassed to make a passage for himself in the midst of a muddy abyss.” (C)

It was not long after her beloved sister Marie died; France was invaded by Nazi Germany. It was a fear cast down by
many Frenchmen and a fear that would soon be realized on May 10, 1940. A German dictator by the name of Adolph
Hitler decided to invade France. The French army thought that the Germans would attack them on the French and
German border, where they had a strong line of defense. However, the Germans decided to attack France through
Belgium instead. The French army made an enormous effort to stop the German army from penetrating the front lines.
However, they were no match to the German arsenal of weapons. On June 22, 1940 the French and German
governments signed an Armistice agreement that called for two different zones. One zone occupied by the Germans and
the other zone occupied by the French. Unfortunately, Caen and Lisieux were both positioned in the German occupied
zone. The Germans setup outposts in most of the major cities in France, Caen and Lisieux being no exception. It was
heartbreaking for Céline to see foreign occupiers, occupy the country she loved so much.

On the last day of May 1940, Céline spoke to Pauline about all the work they had accomplished on their sister Thérèse,
she said: “Humanly speaking, all seems lost, and we have every right to ask ourselves what is going to become of us and
the relics of which we are the guardians. As far as we are concerned, it matters little because it would be a great good to
cross over to the eternal shore towards which all our thoughts tend. But our treasures, I mean those precious relics of
Thérèse? For a long time, I was preoccupied about that, and I suffered great anguish on their account. But now, I am no
longer preoccupied…The time has come when our little Thér è se is loved in spirit and in truth. So there is no real need for
our senses to touch and see.” (C)

France, for Céline, was very dear to her heart, just as it was to her father Louis. In trying to examine and rationalize the
invasion of France by Nazi Germany, Céline wrote: “I think that if God chastise us, it is because we are dear to
him…France is very guilty and, consequently, very ill. It is a mercy that God has decided to allow her to continue…I beg
him to extend his arms in order to save us, not because of our merits, but because of his goodness. I say that because I
am shocked when I hear the virtues of France being praised excessively, as if, because of them, God were indebted to
us. I would prefer to see the just, with all their justice, follow the counsel of our Lord by admitting they are “unprofitable
servants” and humbly taking his hand. (C)

While France was being occupied, the pilgrimages almost came to a halt. It was one of the darkest years that were spent
while the Germans laid their claim on Lisieux. But to reverse the negative effect on the occupation, Céline placed all of her
efforts on a new book called, “The Story of a Family”. In this book, she went back and researched the archives and
pieced together the details of the life of her family. Previously, there were many rumors and misinterpretations in regards
to the many details of her family’s life. What was most heartening was the gossip surrounding her father’s ailments.
There were many clarifications that needed to be addressed from previous years of misinformation and this was the book
that cleared many of those rumors.

No sooner than the death of Marie did Léonie’s health start to deteriorate. She was once again stricken with an illness that
would eventually become fatal. Her illness removed her from all of the duties that she was responsible for in the
monastery. No longer was she going to chant in the choir. Céline’s sister Pauline added in a letter to Léonie: “As long as
your heart chants unceasingly the praises of the good God, all is well.” (GV)

Pauline notified Léonie and expressed to her that she was given permission to be buried at the Carmelite monastery along
beside her sisters Marie and Thérèse, but for fear that her beloved Visitation monastery would be lost after her death, she
chose to be buried at the Visitation. Both Pauline and Céline reassured Léonie that their communication would not stop
after her death. Pauline reassured her that communicating with the Visitation monastery would continue.

The Mother Superior of the Visitation monastery in June of 1941 notified Céline and Pauline that their beloved sister was
in her final days. On the 12th, Léonie had a stroke and was found on the floor unconscious. The doctor came and
examined her and there wasn’t any good news concerning her condition. The Mother Superior then notified the Carmel of
Léonie’s dire condition and Pauline sent two lay sisters that afternoon to represent both Céline and herself. The lay sisters
brought with them Céline’s and Pauline’s last messages and a bouquet of flowers that they picked to give to her. On the
17th, hours leading up to her death, Léonie’s struggle was at its most difficult for her and soon thereafter, she made her
final surrender to God, her soul after so many years of sacrifices, ascended to Heaven. On the 21st, the same two lay
sisters represented both Céline and Pauline at the funeral. Despite the occupation of France, many townspeople turned out
for her funeral to pay their respects.

The spring of 1944 had advanced and the D-Day invasion began. In the allies attempt to liberate France, the bombs would
begin to rain on Lisieux. The start of the bombing missions by the Allied forces began on June 6, following subsequent
days afterwards. Several hundred 500 lb bombs were dropped over Lisieux and the surrounding areas. As the reign of
terror began over the fight for Lisieux, the Carmel was in the middle of it. It was Pauline’s wish for her and her sisters to
stay at the Carmel, but as the surrounding buildings were set ablaze, Pauline, Céline and their sisters had no choice but to
leave Carmel and take cover in the crypt of the Basilica of St. Therese of Lisieux on the 8th of June.

Both Pauline and Céline and their sisters fled the Carmel. One of her sisters escorted her up the hill to the Basilica. Céline
was at peace with the journey as if she was being guided up the hill by her deceased family members. As she stated:
“Since I cannot do anything about it, I am not going to worry over it. If our whole monastery disappeared, its spirit
would still remain.” (C) She detached herself from all of the hysteria that was taking place around her and focusing on
God and God alone.

When they reached the Basilica, the Carmelite sisters took refuge in the side chapel at the crypt level where a statue of
Our Lady of Smile was. During their stay, they rested at different hours of the day on the pews and ate in haste while the
fighting was going on outside. There, they were surrounded by several townspeople who also took refuse in the Basilica
as well.

Since, there were only two remaining Martin sisters that were still alive, many of the townspeople who have also taken
shelter alongside them took turns introducing themselves and overwhelmed them with a lot of inquiries. One of the
townspeople attempted to cast some doubts as to whether the Carmel would survive the bombings stating that it was
impossible for the Carmel to survive the firestorm of bombs that were being dropped on Lisieux. Céline, with a strong
reverence to the Lord, responded by saying: “That is no longer up to us; let us abandon ourselves to the Lord for
everything he will permit. He has always had pity on us. We can have complete confidence in him.” (C)

Living a cloister life in the monastery and then being forced out into the world again brought about its challenges for
Céline. The modest clothing that was once the custom prior to her entering the monastery was no longer there. There
wasn’t any dignity in the way people dressed anymore. But what was an even worse trial for Céline was to bear the
constant attention given to them from the townspeople that surrounded her and Pauline. Céline felt like a “carnival
attraction” and in response called upon God to help her overcome it. Out of prayer, peace overcame her and she
embraced it and humbly made herself available to anyone who sought out her attention. As she stated: “it is for this hour
that I have come here. Yes, I am certain that this trial was necessary for me at the end of my life.” (C)

If it wasn’t the visits that preoccupied her mind, it was all the work she had accomplished in honor of her sister Thérèse
that was also worrisome for her. The fear of losing all of the work she had accomplished for decades would possibly
ignite into flames. She came to realization that she must, too, abandon it all for God as she stated: “I feel deeply that it’s
all nothing, nothing. What does matter is God’s intervention; only his grace counts and it does not need writing to
penetrate and enlighten a soul. A little self sacrifice practiced unobtrusively will open up the wellspring of it.” (C)

As the British advanced on Lisieux, the church bells began to ring, signaling to the Germans in a defiant manner that their
reign of terror was soon ending. With days enfolded with heavy fighting, Lisieux finally fell to the Allies. Lisieux was
finally free. Out of all the mayhem that had erupted for months, there was a silver lining out of it. Pauline and Céline took
the opportunity that they would never have had if they were not forced out of their monastery and visited the places that
was a part of their family’s lives for years. They went to the Lisieux cemetery and visited the graves of their beloved
family members as well as traveled to Les Buissonnets. It was a blessing for them with many emotions.

On August 27th, it was decided that it was safe enough for the Carmelites to return back to their monastery. In a
procession from the Basilica of St. Thérèse to the Carmel, Céline and Pauline alongside the devotees of St. Thérèse
traveled along the road of a destroyed city to their final destination.

Now that the worst had past, it was time to resume their cloister lives once again. Céline, again, took on the tasks of
writing and also painting. She painted more portraits of her sister Thérèse and also painted three medallions that would be
on the chasubles used by the priests for the jubilee of her profession. In all of the work she accomplished it was not
without researching her subject first. Most often, even in the latter part of her life, she continued to comb through
archives. Céline never stopped learning and still maintained the eagerness to learn new things in books she read. As she
was quoted as saying: “I have always weighed and dissected the propositions set before me; I wanted proof of what had
been put forward, and I was ill at ease as long as the question was not fully resolved.” (C) She owes a lot of her
researching techniques from learning from her uncle Isidore.

On October 8, 1944, Céline wrote to a confidante: “If I consider where I am, I notice that I have not gone forward but
backwards…And there, I enjoy an astonishing peace even though it is in darkness. I take as my own this passage from a
prayer to St. Thomas Aquinas: ‘…At the distance intervals, Lord, you draw me out of my lethargy, but alas! They are
only passing visits. I do not know if you love me, or if I love you…I do not even know if I live by faith! I find only
infidelity in myself, only random beginnings, only fruitless sacrifices…and yet, I long for you!”(C)

In times of trials, Céline reflected heavily on Psalm 63 and meditated on the words: ‘O God, my God! For you I long, for
you my soul is thirsting. My body pines for you like a dry weary land without water. So I gaze on you in the sanctuary in
order to contemplate your strength and your glory; for your mercy is better than life.”(C)

Céline, in her writings, describes herself as the “Queen of Imperfect”. “My kingdom is extremely vast, and I have
myriads of subjects but, whatever they do, they cannot surpass their queen in this… The fox will never change.”(C)
Imperfection! She also meditated on her sister Therese’s words: “It is enough to humble oneself, to bear one’s
imperfections with gentleness. That is true sanctity for us.”(C)

On the anniversary of Céline’s 50th year of profession, the 24th of February 1946, there was a Mass conducted in her
honor. The Bishop of Bayeux, Msgr. Picaud, gave the sermon and an envoy that came from the Vatican, Msgr. Roncalli,
the Apostolic Nuncio, read her a message from the Pope. After the Mass was conducted, Céline was in charge of leading
the group of dignitaries around the monastery where many of the events of St. Thérèse’s life occurred. Afterwards, they
celebrated over lunch where Céline was toasted by many of the dignitaries. She was presented with a watercolor by
Pope Pius XII. The watercolor illustrated three pictures of Céline at different points in her life. It was a joyous day spent
by all.

In 1949, Céline reflected the trials of her life and the effect it had on her soul: “I look upon my soul as a fortified castle
that was extraordinarily coveted by the enemy. I was the object of endless dangerous attacks, perilous assaults, and
extreme wars. Certainly, I have suffered much, but my Jesus, my divine Cavalier, faithful to his Lady, has fought for me,
and he has won.

The virtue that Céline valued most was humility. It was a virtue she prayed endlessly to receive this specific gift from
God. As she said: “I desire only one thing, and that is that God may have pity on me; and one can be pitied only when
one is in a pitiful state.” (C) Several times over when there were opportunities for her to hold important positions in the
monastery she was always overlooked. These were all lessons in humility. As Céline stated: “If our mother (prioress)
does not think of me, she was content to say, it is because I have faults that I don’t realize. I must submit without
understanding.”(C)

Céline remained hidden in the shadows of the monastery which is contrary to her usual outspokenness. There were many
people from outside the monastery that thought that she was suffering from a mental illness and quite possibly was sent
to an asylum as a result. The rumors became so widespread that the postulator of the cause for Thérèse went to speak to
her about it. To counteract these rumors, he encouraged her to step forward when dignitaries came inside the monastery.
It was a trial for her to be a “carnival attraction” and she endured it more often than most. When opportunities arose,
Céline stepped forward conversing with each dignitary that came and to many of their amazement she dispelled the
rumors that were casted over her once and for all. After one of the officials witnessing for himself that the rumors that
were cast down were not true, he stated: “I must be the one who is crazy.” (C) In reference to the rumors that were
circulating from other people about her prior to him entering the monastery.

There were many books written about St. Thérèse by writers in the late 1940s and early 1950s which drifted away from
her message. The life of the saint and her Theresian message became distorted from what she wanted to communicate to
the devotees of St. Thérèse: “Spiritual Childhood”. The images were derogatory about the saint and to combat this effort
by certain authors, Pauline and Céline made every attempt to expose the truth about their sister through literature.

Due to the frailty of Pauline’s health, she was permanently moved into the infirmary and thus catapulting Céline to the
forefront and taking the lead in defending her sister Thérèse. On February 2, 1950, Céline completed a summary outlining
all of the misinformation that had already circulated among the devotees composed by other authors. In this summary,
she clarified every segment of “half-truths” or “lies” which distorted the Theresian message. Not only did Celine sign the
summary but she wrote in the footnotes: “Pauline has read, approved and adopted this document on February 11, 1950.”
(C)

Due to the frail health of Pauline, the Holy See intervened on this issue of releasing the entire contents of “The Story of a
Soul” until after her death. But Pauline already knowing what derogatory statements were made about the Carmel and St.
Thérèse concerning the autobiography, she said to Céline: “After my death, I commission you to do it in my name.” (C)
After the death of Pauline, this act was finally accomplished by Céline in a later addition.

The relationship between Pauline and Céline was very close. After the deaths of both of their sisters, Marie and Léonie,
World War II, and the onslaught of the defamation of their sister Thérèse and themselves, they only had each other to
lean on. As Pauline stated: “I love my Céline more than anything else on earth and what would become of me if I did not
have you.”(C)

As Pauline’s health declined even more in 1951, Céline spent most of her days with her sister. One month before
Pauline’s death, Céline described her in her last days: “She is as sweet and serene as possible, totally abandoned to God.”
(C) It was for Céline a trial to see her beloved sister in such a poor state, Pauline, who always took the lead and bore the
responsibilities of the community and the brunt of criticism from others, was now dependent upon her sisters to help her
do everything.

By mid-July, Pauline’s health had deteriorated to the extent that it would be only days before her departure to Heaven.
After being examined by a doctor, a priest was called to give her her Last Confession and the Last Rites. On July 28,
1951, Pauline’s soul ascended to Heaven with Céline and her community at her side. A funeral Mass was conducted on
August 1st, where dignitaries and followers of St. Thérèse attended.

The lost of the companionship between the two sisters was felt most deeply by Céline. As she described: “If I am stung
with grief at the thought of my ‘Little Mother’, I also have waves of joy in knowing that my whole family came out of
the ‘great tribulation’ victorious.” (C) I am blessed to be the last surviving member of my family. Céline went on to say:
“I am always talking to my ‘Little Mother’; we too old women were fused together in these last years.” (C) Céline
received permission from the new prioress to have a photograph of her sister in her cell as a gentle reminder that Pauline
was always with her.

After the death of Pauline, there was nothing left for Céline to hold on to but the union she had with Jesus. She
surrendered all of her faults and weaknesses to Him. If her immediate thoughts were for her to gain rest before her
departure to Heaven, she would be very wrong.

Even though Céline reached a mature age and faced many afflictions such as rheumatism, sciatica, gout, she still persisted
onwards. But in the winter of 1953, she was struck with influenza. At this time, it was thought of by Céline that this
illness would be the affliction to ascend her soul to Heaven. She was preparing herself for her departure but as God
would have it, she survived but not without any regrets. As Céline stated: “I am in an abyss of misery…Am I going to
pull myself out of it? Surely, Oh! How hard it is always to miss the train…Nothing can go more slowly than the state I’m
in now. I keep asking God not to let me lack confidence. My soul is struggling in the lower depths…I am always losing;
when will I win?” (C)

Despite all of the physical ailments that came across her path, Céline continued to put forward in her writings her sister’s
way of “spiritual childhood”. She spent countless hours interpreting and defining the meaning of the Act of Oblation to
Merciful Love. She battled many of the authors in her own writings who wrote books which either “water downed” or
“misguided” devotees from the purity of the message. Her character never pondered on or procrastinated on issues that
regarded her sister, she was immediate in her response without making any compromises.

Céline set out again to write another book called “Conseils et souvenirs”. In this book, her goal was to help those souls
that struggle day to day with all of their imperfections. She placed herself in the forefront as an example in order to
encourage those that sought to follow the “little way of spiritual childhood” and prove that it can be accomplished. As
Céline stated: “Our Thérèse had to reach a high level of perfection quickly; and she led us, me above all, her Céline, by the
path she followed…God allowed her apparent strictness not to discourage me but to incite me to perfection. It was in his
designs that my virtues and graces would be ‘slow’ in coming. But with Thérèse, the ‘bomb’ of graces exploded on the
spot!” (C)

There was a large interest in the lives of Louis and Zelie Martin. Many devotees saw the parents as ‘saintly’. With the
constant interest in knowing more about the parents of St. Thérèse, Céline was requested by the prioress in 1953 and
1954 to write two different booklets titled: “The Father of St. Thérèse and also The Mother of St. Thérèse”. The booklets
focused on the Christian lives of her parents Louis and Zelie Martin. She spent countless hours researching the long list of
notes and correspondence that had accumulated throughout the years of their lives. She added to her own reflections of
her own accounts of situations that occurred between them.

As with any subject manner that sparked her interest she assigned herself to do, characteristic of her nature, to research it
fully. Instinctively, she focused all of her attention on it and at many times it became at times frustrating for her when she
was constantly interrupted. Sometimes, she would fire back at the person that interrupted her but later after realizing her
fault, she would write a little note to that sister and ask for her forgiveness. As Céline reflected on herself: “I always
wanted the details of my life to fit together like a puzzle. Anyone who disturbed them was in for trouble! If some
unexpected circumstance happened to ruin the scheme and mix up the pieces, I showed my displeasure.” (C)

In dealing with situations that tested her, Céline always felt that her patience was a virtue that she could not reach: “I need
many prayers to become patient, but I will suffer the want of that virtue my whole life and I will die without ever having
enjoyed it; I feel it’s hopeless. So, dying as I have lived, without patience, I will not be able to wait at Heaven’s gate, and
I will go straight on through it.” (C) Céline prayed many times that people would see Jesus in her more so than herself.

Poverty as Céline described was a virtue that many religious practiced the least. She was very careful not to destroy
anything that could possibly be used by another sister at a later date. She knew that things which were not important to
one sister maybe important to another, it was after all a community that they were living in and all things belonged to
everyone. One’s value of a possession is always different from another. She was after all an archivist, where she
catalogued, organized, and retained documentations on her sister Thérèse and the community. The value in all the things
she retained was tenfold especially when discrepancies arose from outside the monastery or from within. Céline did not
view this as a spirit of attachment to things but an opportunity to be used by another person if need be. She offered no
resistance to any of her sisters who needed something from her collection.

Céline practice the virtue of temperance. Her views on individuals and subject matter did not waver at the first signs of a
‘big storm’. In a letter written by Céline to her sister Léonie, she described a situation that was occurring with a family
member outside of the monastery. In this situation it was scandalized, and of course many people instinctively distance
themselves from it. Céline wrote: “It seems to me that it is not the time to abandon a soul when everyone else is
abandoning him. How I would wish to be a prison chaplain, in order to go as I pleased to lift up fallen souls…I have
much more compassion than distaste for withered lilies. Oh! What we ourselves would be if the good God had not
preserved us, for we are capable of anything, absolutely anything!” (C)

When situations arose that would cast doubts on the ordinary person, Céline held steadfast to her Catholic faith. Her
virtue of diligence in her devotion to the Roman Catholic Church was unequivocal to none. She followed closely the
teachings of the Church and most importantly in all the works she had written that she aligned herself to that belief. She
once stated: “She professed never to have wanted anything but the truth and requested that her writings be burned,
‘without mercy and with her thanks’ if any errors were found in them.” (C)

Spiritual childhood was at the center of Céline’s life. It was what her sister Thérèse had expressed to her so often. She
understood the concept of spiritual childhood very well and after all she lived it daily: “Since God is merciful Love, misery
attracts him and provokes a sea of graces; it is enough for us to recognize it, to accept it, to love it, and not to cease to
offer to the Lord our ineffective efforts, which he will crown in his own good time, an absolute faith in infinite Love.” (C)

The expression of faith in her union with God as she politely said: “He is a Father to me, and I love him unto folly,
passionately…My only desire is to know him more and more, to attain to the ultimate limits of this knowledge on earth,
and later in Heaven…, and to do that, I feel it is necessary to attain the ultimate limits of humility; which is why I keep
begging for it so insistently. That sums up the whole of my poor little soul.” (C)

Céline’s 60th anniversary of her profession was celebrated on February 24, 1956. It was an event which she would
rather have avoided because of all the fanfare that it entailed. She requested all the gifts that she was to receive to be
donated to the Basilica of St. Thérèse for the renovations that were taking place. On this day, at the Carmelite Chapel as
the guest of honor, she witnessed the sermon of Father Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus. The ceremony was presided
over by Bishop André Jacquemin. A special guest from the Vatican that was appointed by Pope Pius XII, Cardinal
Ottaviani, Pro-Secretary of the Holy Office, delivered a message from the Pope along with giving her an autographed
papal blessing. One special blessing that Céline received from Bishop André Jacquemin and Bishop Pasquet was that both
of them were going to officially open the causes of both of her parents, Louis and Zelie Martin.

When came time for Céline to speak, she eulogized on the need of a religious vocation. As she described: “Despite the
often very sharp trials that have marked my path, I find, in the end, that our Lord has not failed in his promise and that in
leaving all things. I have found not only the hundredfold, but I went farther, to the thousandfold in joy and interior peace.”
(C) As Céline explained further, she used Thérèse and Pauline as examples of those virtues expressing their cheerfulness:
“In their greatest difficulties, the peace of heaven inundated their souls and fortified them; true happiness was their lot in
life as it is with all fervent souls. And there are a great many of them in our cloister.” (C)

At the beginning of February, Céline contemplated on the need for suffering in her life as she confided in one of her
letters: “The other night I understood that it was suffering accepted with love that gave value to my life; physical
sufferings like those of martyrdom. Up until now I have suffered in all sorts of ways, in mind and in heart, suffered also
from difficult and ponderous work, which Saint Paul enumerates in his list of tribulations. But what crowns life is
personal suffering, like that of Job, afflicted in his own body. Saint Paul ended his much tormented life by the martyrdom
of blood. Our Lord has said: ‘Was it not necessary that Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Suffering in
itself has no value; one has only to look at the demons and those damned. But accepted with loving abandonment to God,
it is a divine seal put upon our life…It seemed to me that I saw it clearly, and I thanked God effusively for allowing me to
pass through this crucible.” (C)

On February 27, 1956, once again, Céline suffered from a high fever, coughing, muscle pains, fatigue and discomfort
brought about by her bout with influenza. Maybe this time it will be the one to ascend her soul to Heaven unlike her last
bout with influenza. But God had other plans for her and He wasn’t going to take her just yet. Her attitude this time was
very peaceful. She embraced the suffering up until August of the same year. As she stated: “I would never have wanted
to ask Him (God) for suffering, but now I thank Him.” (C) Céline expressed her thoughts on death: “Truthfully, I fear
nothing about it, and I am quite abandoned to it without being conscious of it.”(C)

After surviving another round of influenza, Céline prepared herself once more for the interrogations of the virtues of her
parents. She again researched all of the letters and notes about her parents to prepare for the process. She believed that
they were the ‘ideal role models’ for the family.

The cause was formally introduced in 1957. As a part of the process, Céline was asked to give a deposition of the life of
her parents, being that she was the last surviving member of the family. As with everything that Céline did, she
researched for hours all of the documents concerning her parents for her deposition. There were two different diocesan
proceedings in the same year. The first one was for the cause of Céline’s father Louis Martin. Due to the fact that she
was cloistered, the proceedings were held in the parlor. This cross-examination lasted for 3 months early in the year. The
next proceedings occurred at the end of that same year for two months for Céline’s mother, Zelie Martin. At 88 years
old, Céline persevered through the entire process and was at peace with the numerous questions that were imposed upon
her.

In three separate months of the year of 1958, February, August, September, Céline continued to assist in the process of
her parents and finally in her last deposition that was made on September 6, “she reviewed and approved her mother’s
writings for printing.” (C)

On October 13, 1958, Louis and Zelie Martin’s remains were unearthed at the Lisieux cemetery. After they were
unearthed, both of them were examined by three doctors. The only objects that remained intact outside of the bones were
the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and their metal crucifix. After the examination by the doctors, their remains
were placed in new coffins and then reburied behind the Apse of the Basilica of St. Thérèse until 2008.

The coffins that were used for her parents until 1958 were painstakingly cleared out. The bones were already buried in a
new coffin and Céline along with another Carmelite nun worked unceasingly to clear out the old coffin of the remaining
remnants left behind, this lasted for two months. Céline prepared each relic piece, sealed and placed it into boxes. She and
her Carmelite sister worked endlessly until it was completed on December 12th.

After focusing all of her efforts on completing all her tasks concerning her parents, her health notably started to take a
downward turn. On the last day that she finished her work on the remnants her parents coffins, she stated: “I have
finished all that I had to do; now, the good God can take me.” (C) Many of the changes that were presently occurring
which were different from traditional standards that she had fought and defended throughout the years she now had
gained her peace over it. As Céline stated: “I thank God for allowing me to be lovingly detached from it.” (C)

Céline found a stanza in a book written by Msgr. Baunard called “Le Vieillard which she herself felt was a reflection of
her life. “I am nearing a hundred, my day draws to a close; It is more than evening, it is almost night. But, in front of me,
rises in the east the dawn of a more beautiful day. Welcome, welcome! It is the white light of your face, O Christ, which
in my sad heart awakens a great hope; Come down, heavenly ray, appear, my Brother Jesus, it is time for us to see each
other. (C)

The Benedictine Abbey that Léonie, Céline and Thérèse attended in Lisieux was completely destroyed by the World War II
air raids in 1944. After World War II ended, the rebuilding campaign for the Benedictine Abbey, Céline was a sponsor of
one of the clocks for the Abbey. The new clocks were installed and blessed on the 14th of December 1958, thus
signaling to Céline that the end was near.

Earlier in her life, Céline had written to her sister Léonie about death, she stated to her sister: “During my thanksgiving, I
thought of death, as I usually do and I said to myself that it was the greatest and most meritorious action of my life, an
action I would perform only once. Then, I experienced an immense desire to accomplish this action as perfectly as
possible, and I told myself that it would not be enough to die of love in an act of perfect love, but that I wanted it to be
such a love that it breaks my bonds. I then felt certain that I would be heard. God cannot give such desires if he does not
want to fulfill them. Truly, I feel totally unworthy of that grace, and my miserable life, which has been wholly external,
entirely made up of earthy encumbrances, does poverty that this grace seems easier for me to obtain. I will present
myself before God, not with empty hands, but with the paraphernalia of all my misdeeds. I am summoning all of my
imperfections to my judgment. It is no longer necessary to speak of good actions. I have given them to God as I went
along, and he has distributed them to souls…So I will arrive in the procession of all my wretchedness, and God will be so
sweet to me that, not being able to stand the sight of such goodness, the bond that was still holding me here on earth will
be broken.”(C)

Céline, still facing torturous nights from physical pain, and long work days added this by saying: “together with a
thousand little miseries of old age, is a burden I do not often take up with a smile, but rather with a sigh. I would not
want God to hear it. And yet, I look upon all my imperfections as treasures, and I summon them to appear at my
judgment, for all my faults are my strength. I regret them and am sincerely humiliated by them, I think that they will draw
God’s pity down upon me; and when he has pity, he also has mercy.” (C)

Due to Céline’s grave illness, she left her cell for the very last time. A room which she was accustom to for decades. She
was brought to the infirmary where she would spend her last days here on earth. A place she was as familiar with as
having been an infirmarian herself and the witness of many of her Carmelite sisters as well as her biological sisters’
deaths. A doctor was sent to the Carmelite monastery to give his diagnosis and it was not good. The heart muscle was
functioning inadequately and the rate of her heart beats was irregular. She was on the cusp of having a major heart attack
along with the complication of congested lungs. The diagnosis by the doctor brought joy to Céline; soon she would be
reunited with her Lord. Since there were repairs being made where they kept the statue of Our Lady of the Smile in the
chapel, the prioress decided to bring the statue into the room where Céline was being kept. Seeing the statue brought back
a lot of memories for her especially with members of her family. It was as if Our Lady herself had appeared in the flesh
to pay her a visit. Later that evening, a priest came to give her the Last Rites and hear her Last Confession.

Written by: R. Hann

Bibliography

Piat, Stéphanie Fr. The Story Of A Family: The Home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. (SF)
Trans: Benedictine of Stanbrook Abbey. Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1948.
Martin, Celine. The Mother of the Little Flower Trans: Fr. Michael Collins, S.M.A. (ML)
Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 1957
Martin, Celine. The Father of the Little Flower Trans: Fr. Michael Collins, S.M.A. (FL)
Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 1955
Scallan, Dorthy. The Whole World Will Love Me, The Life of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (WW)
Edited by Fr. Emeric B. Scallan, S.T.B. Rockford, Ill. Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 1954
---. CÉLINE: Sister Geneviève of the Holy Face. Trans: The Carmelite Sisters of the Eucharist of Colchester, Conn. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1997. (C)
Martin, Céline The Father of the Little Flower (Louis Martin) (FL)
trans: Fr. Michael Collins, S.M.A. Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 1955
Clarke, John, trans. St.Thérèse of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations. (LC)
Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 1977.

April 28, 1869 -February 25, 1959

Recommended Reading

Céline: Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face - Sister and Witness of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus

Céline: Sister Genevieve of the
Holy Face, sister and witness
of St. Therese of the Child Jesus
By: Stephane-Joseph Piat
Paperback: 201 pages
Publisher: Ignatius Press
(August 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0898706025
ISBN-13: 978-0898706024
www.amazon.com