Martin Sisters - Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face Page IV

On May 27, 1894, the seriousness of Louis’s health had taken
yet again another turn for the worst. While Céline was helping
her cousin Jeanne, in Caen, her father had another stroke. She
immediately rushed to the train station and headed back to
Lisieux. On the way there, she prayed to God asking him that
her father still be alive when she returned. She wanted the
blessing to be there when her father took his last breath. Once
she arrived, he appeared to be getting better. Nine days later on
the 5th of June he suffered from a heart attack while Céline was
at Mass. The servants came and got her and she rushed with fear
in her eyes as she was running back to the house. As Céline
reflected on this experience when she wrote to her sisters
about his heart attack, she said: “While I was running the whole
way home, I did not know whether I would find him better or
dead. Our Lord wished me not to be deprived of assisting him in
his last moments; help me, dearest Sisters, to thank Our Lord for
that grace. Oh! Pray for both of us. Papa and me…I feel my heart
so filled with emotion. (FL) Throughout the month of June,
Louis’s condition was slowly improving.

The decision was made for the family to go to La Musse; Louis’s
condition had improved enough for them to make the trip. It was
the perfect place for him and Céline to be together in his last days.
There were so many fond memories that he had spent with her
there that it was befitting for him to be in a peaceful environment.
Both Céline and the Guérins made every effort possible to keep
Louis comfortable, Céline especially took special care of him,
her being the “guardian” of her beloved father.

On July 28, 1894, Louis suffered from another heart attack, this
time it was to be his last. Céline stayed at his bedside until it was
time for her to go to sleep and the servant Desiré looked over him
throughout the night. At five o’clock in the morning on the 29th,
Céline was awakened by Desiré to come and see her father, his
condition was dire. At seven forty-five a.m. while she was
attending to him, she noticed that he was turning ice cold. As
Céline’s aunt woke up her husband Isidore and retrieved some hot
water bottles, Céline was left alone with him. She was so distraught
that she asked God what she should do. Without any hesitation,
she spoke aloud: “Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I give you my heart, my
soul, and my life…Jesus, Mary Joseph, assist me in my last agony
…Jesus, Mary, Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with
you.” (FL) He looked upon her with a loving glance showing her
that he understood everything without saying a word. By eight
fifteen a.m. his breathing slowly came to an end. Immediately after
he passed away, Céline stood over him and placed her fingers over
his eyes and closed them forever and gave him her last loving kiss.
The expression on his face after his death gave her the peace she
needed. Céline’s prayers were answered that she was able to
witness her father’s last breath. Céline described in a letter to
her sisters: “Papa is in Heaven…his expression was that of
happiness and profound peace. My heart burst at the last moment,
and a flood of tears bathed his bed. But underneath I was really
glad for his happiness after the terrible martyrdom which he has
undergone and which we have shared with him.” (FL)

That night as Céline was having trouble sleeping; she got up and
looked out of her window and looked into the night’s sky. As she
was gazing outwards, she saw a “luminous globe” disappearing
into the Heavens. It was an affirmation for her that her father had
made it to Heaven.

The Guérins and Céline prepared Louis’s body for the journey
home from La Musse. On the 2nd of August, his funeral took
place at the Cathedral of St. Pierre. There were many people in
attendance for his funeral including the journey to the cemetery.
It was a great honor of his life for so many people to complete
the journey with him and his family to his final resting place.
Immediately afterwards, Céline and the Guérins went to the
Carmelite monastery for a service in honor of their father. It was
to honor a father that they loved so much and who all held dear
to their hearts.

Now, it was time for Céline to fulfill her destiny and take her
rightful place among her sisters at the Carmelite monastery.
Initially all of the nuns were not too happy about her entrance,
for fear of four Martin sisters being in the same monastery,
there was a lot of hesitation to allow her in. However, the
opposition would soon fade with the exception of Sr. Aimee
of Jésus. Thérèse decided to use prayer, as a weapon, to weaken
her opposition to her sister’s entrance as she prayed: “Dearest
Jesus, you know how earnestly I desired that the trials my dear
father endured should serve as his purgatory. I long, to know if
my wish has been granted. Since one of our community is
strongly opposed to Céline’s entrance here, if she withdrew
her opposition I shall consider it as a sign from you that my father
went straight to Heaven.” (WW) Thérèse’s prayers would soon
be answered; Sr. Aimee of Jésus, who was strongly opposed to
Céline’s entrance came to Thérèse in tears and told her that she
had changed her mind and that she would gladly welcome Céline
into the monastery with open arms. The final opposition to Céline’s
entrance was cleared. Thérèse writes to her sister Céline: “Come we
will suffer together, and then the good God will take one of us, and
the others will remain a little while longer in exile. Now hearken to
what I am going to say to you, never will God separate us. If I die
before you, do not think that I shall ever be separated from your soul; never shall we have been more
united. Do not be troubled by prophecy, it is but childishness. I am not ill; I am strong as iron; but God
can break iron as easily as potter’s clay.”(DBT)

The date was set for September 14, 1894. Celine took care of all of the things that needed to be done
prior to her entrance with the help of her aunt Céline and cousin Marie. The day of her entrance had
come and Céline was escorted by her relatives to the Carmelite monastery. In the chapel, the
ceremony took place for her entrance and not without a bunch of tears flowing from her uncle’s and
aunt’s eyes. As she entered the door and looked back at her relatives, as her other sisters had
previous done, she gave them a loving tearful goodbye. As soon as the door closed, all peace resided
in Céline’s heart as she describes that moment: “The storm gave way to calm and the deepest
serenity. I felt that at last I had found the place of my repose.” (C) Once she entered, she knelled
before her sister Pauline, who was then prioress, and submitted herself to her and was introduced to
all of the sisters.

Since Thérèse was the assistant novice mistress, Pauline handed over the responsibility, to Thérèse,
of showing Céline around the monastery. Later that evening, all of her sisters would meet Céline in
her cell. Céline entered and saw a poem lying on her bed and realized that it was once written by
her father. In the poem, the verses from her father read: “Come to us, little girl! My crown lacks
one bright pearl. The Lord said to us, and we are all here. To pluck you from the world on our wings
of white like birds on the branches pluck a flower bright. Oh, come to us! Come to us, dear! (C)
Céline reflected on reading the poem, she stated: “I could not express my emotions when I read this
poem and recognized that it was my father’s handwriting…It was he who welcomed me to this
dwelling where the love of Jesus had reserved a place for me…At the sight of this, waves of gratitude
pressed my heart, and the emotions made tears flow, something that grief and anguish had not been
able to do. I cannot say what took place in me at that first meeting with my dear sisters. We said hardly
anything to each other. I sat down silently on the edge of my straw mattress, like a tired traveler who,
after a long absence and having gone through innumerable perils, now stops to catch her breath upon
arriving at her destination, not daring as yet to believe her good fortune.”(C) Thérèse honored Céline
by being the first to tell her that her new name would be Sr. Marie of the Holy Face.

The first lesson Thérèse taught her sister, in humility, was to kiss the floor every time she entered.
Thérèse stated to her sister: “Each time you enter your cell and each time you leave it, no matter
whether it be ten or twenty or forty times a day, you must always first kiss the floor as I showed
you. What this exercise of humility will do for your soul, only years of unremitting practice - which
I now have – will prove that our Carmel has all the secrets of perfection. This is something I have
learned.” (WW)

One of Céline’s first reprimands was when she said “Thank you” to her sister after she received a list
of the daily routine that everyone was expected to follow. Thérèse told her to say, “May God reward
you” instead of “Thank you”. “Thank you” is meaningless and when you say “May God reward you”
you are asking for intercession from God on their behalf. Each time that you do something for someone
or someone does something for you, “its meaning is in relation to God and that alone is what counts.”
(WW) Thérèse went onto say: “God commands us to love each other. We prove this by being of
service to one another, and for this He will reward us eternally.” (WW) It was also taught to Céline
that she should never refer to “my” or “mine” when referring to material possessions. It is always
“ours” for it is by every means of helping us detach ourselves from all things material which is parallel
to the vow of poverty which is taken by each nun. For in the end, after this life is over, the original
meaning of the possession will disappear and someone else will take on that same possession as
their own without having the same meaning. The need for acquiring possession only temporarily
satisfies us and leads us to believe that it will make us fulfilled within ourselves, for it is God who
completes us and fulfills our needs and we must seek him and only him.

Once alone in her cell, Céline’s first glance at the list of her daily routines, for her, was content on
memorizing and embracing her new life at Carmel. While lying in bed, the realization of living an
enclosed life came into reality. The reality of staying stationary in one place, the unappetizing meals
and the uncomfortable bed all proved to be obstacles which Céline had to embrace while living the
rest of her life at Carmel. As always, she willingly accepted this challenge and embraced it
wholeheartedly.

Céline embraced her new surroundings with open arms. The physical character of the place was
what she admired the most both “simple and austere”. It was shocking to her sisters by how much
her willingness to embrace her new life. With most new sisters who have lived in the outside world
for a longer time; they bring with them the “scars” that the world has placed upon them. At
twenty-five, Céline had none.

It was not long until several instances arose when Céline finally found her difficulties. As she settled
into her new life, one of her biggest obstacle was her straw mattress. Her mattress was very
uncomfortable for her to sleep on, caused her to have many sleepless nights. Periodically, during
times of prayer, she struggled to stay awake. As with any new nun, many eyes fell upon her during
those times of group prayers, and she was caught many times and reprimanded for it. Next, it was
food that was being served, that caused her much heartache. It took her almost a year for her body
to adjust to the new changes in her eating habits. Even though she battled her physical difficulties,
she survived her postulancy and welcomed the next step into becoming a novice.

On February 5, 1895, Céline took the habit and became a novice. In the ceremony, she left the
cloister and met her relatives. Canon Ducellier presided over the ceremony. Céline’s uncle Isidore
escorted her down the aisle in her beautiful bridal gown while she held a bouquet of lilies as her aunt
Céline and cousins’ Jeanne and Marie looked on in the Carmelite chapel. Even though Céline’s
father and mother were not there, their presence was felt throughout the ceremony. The homily
was befitting and dear to her because it was about her father, Louis, the one she was closest to
and cared for up until his death. Céline recalled the ceremony by stating: “I received a particular
grace of intimate union with my Beloved; I saw nothing of what was going on around me. The
presence of the Bishop, the numerous clergy, the crowd of visitors, had all disappeared before my
eyes; I was alone with Jesus…when suddenly, I was awakened from my interior silence by the
singing of Compline, which was vibrant and full of spirit. The choir intoned the psalm: Qui habitat
in adjutorio Altissimi (He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High), and I understood its meaning;
each word fell on my soul like the pledge of a sacred promise made to me by the One to whom I
had united my life.” (C)

Prior to the ceremony, it was originally decided that Céline would receive the name of Sr. Marie of
the Holy Face, but when Fr. Delatroette heard what her new name would be, he objected plainly.
He felt that it was more befitting an honor to use one of the recently deceased founding members
of the Carmelite monastery; he preferred to have her named Sr. Geneviève of St. Teresa. His
demands were granted. Thérèse was very distressed over the name change when she heard about
Fr. Delatroette objections, but Pauline reassured her that “of the Holy Face” would be added to
her name. As a blessing, Céline received relics of the deceased foundress whom the community
revered as a holy nun.

As a part of the Carmelite rules, each postulant entering the monastery is allowed to bring with
them a limited number of belongings upon the approval of the prioress. Céline, herself, chose her
camera and camera equipment. History has proven that Céline’s choices were one of the most
valuable assets for the community and for her sister Thérèse. With many saints prior to St.
Thérèse, very few of them ever had photographs taken of them, showing the true character of
the saint. Even today, the world is still captured by the images of St. Thérèse that were taken
by Céline.

Céline was very detailed oriented in her work. Interruptions were her biggest obstacle when she
was working on a task. She strived every day to overcome them. One day when a sister chastises
her for spending too much time on a particular task, she lashed back at her and soon regretted it.
As she reflected on the incident: “It is true, as one wise man put it, that you feel a pinprick on
yourself more than the broken arm of your neighbor.”(C) After Céline faced many similar
situations between her and her sisters, she began to realize her faults and saw them for herself.
As she states: “In the world, my soul lived, so to speak, in a strong fortress: it was quartered
there and reveled in its riches. On the inside as on the outside, everything obeyed it. Praised and
applauded, it had no doubt that it was really something. Moreover, did it need to be praised from
without when it felt itself so alive with constantly renewed energy, when the good God set before
it, so to speak, the gifts that he had so liberally accorded it? But suddenly the picture changed.
In place of the edifice, I no longer saw anything but ruins that allowed the hitherto ignored chasms
to be discovered. Then war was enkindled in me: my faults, which up till then had been slumbering,
were awakened. Was it to live with them that I had come to Carmel?” (C)

Céline had a preconceived notion of what life would be like at Carmel. She felt that since she gave
up her family and what the world had to offer, it would be easy for her to endure the many minor
dramas that occur in monastic life. She proved herself wrong. One day she spoke to her sister
Pauline and complained to her about the obstacles she was facing with the other sisters and
Pauline said to her: “Are you finding it too hard? Do more” (C) The realization that the people
around her were from many different backgrounds. They would interpret what she said to them
differently. This was an eye opening experience that she had to come to terms with. She had to
be more gentle and caring with some and with others she had to be much sterner. Overall, she
learned how to love each and every one of them.

In the introduction to the Carmelite life, the only reference Céline had, when facing obstacles, was
what she learned outside of Carmel. Addressing these obstacles was a completely different process
within the walls of Carmel and Thérèse was there to help her through it. Thérèse said to Céline:
“To rely on what the world has taught you is like leaning on a red-hot iron! It leaves a little mark!
You must surrender all things blindly to God.” (C)

One obstacle, thought to have already been won, was her relationship with her sister Thérèse.
Even though both of them were inseparable and equal when they were younger their relationship
had to be relearned by Céline. Thérèse was no longer her equal but now she was her teacher.
Céline could not, as she was accustomed to in the past, just go up to Thérèse and speak with her
any time she wanted to and however long she wished to speak with her. She now had to measure
her time with her own sister and cautiously make the sacrifice to not place herself above the other
novices that Thérèse was also responsible for. As Céline states: “I was not the only kitten drinking
out of the Infant Jesus’s bowl.” (C)

When Thérèse saw Céline struggle, she joyfully accepted it. She knew that through humiliations
that Céline’s soul was being transformed before her very eyes. Instinctively it was expected for
Céline to fight back the reprimands brought about by her other sisters in the monastery. For Céline,
it was more over a struggle with self-love. Céline wanted to be known for her accomplishments
moreover than her faults. That in itself was not enough for Céline to learn what true humility was.
Thérèse used stories in the Bible to illustrate to her the similar situations that she was facing at the
time in order to help her learn how to deal with them. Moreover to learn how to love the
humiliation that she was in.

Thérèse hoped that Céline would come to a point in her life for her to desire to be reprimanded for
her faults. This in itself would convince her with confidence to seek out God first and not rely on
what the world had taught her previously on how to handle difficult situations. As Thérèse made
Céline feel the joy in believing that she was of course a “Very little Soul” whom God constantly
had to support because it was nothing but weakness and imperfection. (C)

One of the things that Céline cherished the most was receiving Holy Communion on a daily basis.
Prior to monastic life, she reaffirmed that union with Jesus by receiving the Holy Eucharist daily.
At Carmel, things were much different, due to the regulations of the community; she was only
afforded the opportunity to receive Holy Communion 3-4 times a week. Unable to receive the
Holy Eucharist everyday was a trial and a sacrifice for her to endure and overcome from which
she was once accustomed to.

As an act of surrendering, Céline imitated her sister Thérèse by showering the crucifix she was given
with rose pedals. Each rose pedal was a sacrifice she made for Jesus. She removed the crown of
thorns which were placed on Jesus’s head and removed the nails which were placed in both of his
hands and feet.

On the 3rd of February 1895, Céline completely surrendered herself to the “Mistress of Her House”,
the Virgin Mary. It was an easy step for her to take due to her wholehearted devotion to the Virgin
Mary. Equal to her own strong personality, she sought out the protection of St. Michael, St. Elias,
and St. John the Baptist.

A turning point had occurred within Therese, in the formation of the little way. On June 9, 1895,
after Mass, Thérèse and Céline approached Mother Agnes and requested to gain permission to become
a “Victim to Merciful Love”. Mother Agnes gave her permission not fully understanding what she
was requesting at the time. Thérèse understood clearly now how Jesus longs to be loved and she led
her sister Céline into making “The Act of Oblation of Merciful Love”. As both of them knelt before
the Blessed Virgin, Therese recited “The Act” on both of their behalf.

As Thérèse explains in her autobiography: “I was thinking of those souls who offer themselves as
victims to the justice of God, so that, by drawing it down on themselves, they turn aside the
punishment due to sinners. I thought this a noble and generous offer, but I was a long way from
feeling that I should make it myself. From the depths of my heart, I cried: “O my divine Master,
must it be only Your justice which has its victims? Has n’t Your merciful love need of them too?
It is everywhere rejected and ignored. Those on whom You long to lavish it seek a wretched,
fleeting happiness in other creatures instead of flinging themselves into Your arms and welcoming
the flames of Your divine love. Must Your rejected love stay shut up in Your Heart? It seems to
me that if You found souls offering themselves as sacrificial victims of Your love, You would
consume them speedily and would rejoice to unloose those torrents of infinite tenderness You hold
within Yourself. If your justice must spend itself, though it is concerned only with the earth, how
much more must Your merciful love long to inflame souls since ‘Thy mercy reacheth even to the
heavens.’ O Jesus, let me be Your eager victim and consume Your little sacrifice in the fire of
divine love.” (SS)

As with Thérèse, Céline’s heart was being inundated with God’s love. As Céline, describes for
herself, on September 8, 1895: “Jesus living in Céline; Céline possessed by Jesus.” (C)

At the end of 1895, a dark cloud hovered over the announcement of Céline’s profession. There
was a disagreement about delaying her profession by Mother Marie de Gonzaga and
Mother Agnes of Jesus. Mother Marie wanted the ceremony postponed until after the elections
of the new prioress. To appease Mother Marie, Mother Agnes consulted the Bishop’s
representative and the matter was fully resolved that the profession ceremony would commence
in February as first decided. Once that matter was resolved, days prior to the ceremony,
Céline had doubts about her profession. But with prayer all doubts about her profession
were removed.

In celebration of Céline’s profession on February 24, 1896, Thérèse composed a marriage
contract between Céline and Jesus with the motto: “To leave oneself in order to find God.”
Thérèse secretly placed it in Céline’s room addressing it to Céline: “From the Knight Jesus to
my beloved spouse, Genevieve of Saint Teresa, living by love on the Mountain of Carmel.” (C)
*Genevieve of Saint Teresa was Céline's first given name after she entered the monastery, it
wasn't until later that she also receive the name "of the Holy Face".

On Céline’s profession day, she knelt down before Mother Agnes and placed her hands in hers
and recited her prayer: “Lord, my ambition is to be, with my dear Thérèse, a little child in the
Father’s heavenly home…I desire only to work for your pleasure…I agree always to lose here
below, for I want everything I receive from you to be gratuitous, because you love me and not
the riches acquired by my virtues…Do not judge me according to my works, do not lay my
faults to my charge, but look on the Face of my Jesus. He will answer for me.” (C)

Not long after Céline’s profession, the date was set for her veiling on March 17, 1896. Here
veiling was held in the Carmelite chapel presided over by Msgr. Hugonin. Canon Ducellier gave
the sermon which consisted reading “The Office of the Dead”. The Office of the Dead was
commonly used at a profession to describe the abandonment of the nun to the outside world
as opposed to its original intent of the separation of an individual’s soul from its body after
death.

Elections were held on March 21, 1896; Mother Marie de Gonzaga was once again elected as
the new prioress. A new monastery was being built in what is now known as modern day
Vietnam and the bishop requested Mother Marie to send a couple of her nuns in Lisieux to fill
the positions. On Mother Marie’s list were of course Pauline, Céline, Thérèse and their cousin
Marie. However, with the early signs of Thérèse’s illness appearing and other situating
circumstances prevented any of the Martin sisters from being sent to Vietnam.

On April 2nd and 3rd of 1896, Thérèse’s body showed the first signs of her illness when she
hemorrhaged on both nights. As she described in her autobiography: “I had scarcely put my
head on the pillow when a warm gush of something filled my mouth. I thought I was dying
and my heart almost burst with joy. But as I had just put out my lamp, I restrained my
curiosity until morning and went peacefully to sleep. When the bell rang at five o’clock, I
remembered at once that I had some good news to check. I went to the window and saw
the good news was true—my handkerchief was sodden with blood.”(SS)

As 1896 ended, 1897 was the year of the last great agony of Céline’s sister Thérèse. Her
symptoms had already showed themselves to her and now was the time when her sisters were
alerted of her serious illness—tuberculosis. In early April, Thérèse fell seriously ill which scared
all of her sisters. There was no remedy to cure Thérèse’s illness and death was foreseen in the
future.

After the shock of her illness wore off, Céline, obvious took it very hard. She knew that only a
miracle from God would cure her sister. Thérèse was to Céline, her close companion and
confidant. Céline looked to Thérèse every time she was facing a difficult situation. As Thérèse’s
illness progressed Céline knew by year’s end Thérèse would no longer be there for her in the
flesh.

Once Thérèse was permanently moved to the infirmary on July 8th, Céline was there at her side.
Céline held the duty of assistant infirmarian. Céline took care of all the nuns who were seriously
ill or incapable of taking care of themselves due to their advanced age. When Céline spoke to
Thérèse in the infirmary, she annotated everything both of them said to one another.

July 12, 1897 was the first recorded conversation both of them had with one another while in
the infirmary. As Thérèse looked upon Céline, she said: “Ah! My little Sister Genevieve will
feel my departure the most; certainly, she’s the one I pity the most because as soon as she is in
trouble she comes looking for me, and she will no longer find me…Yes, God will give her
strength…and besides, I’ll come back!” (LC) Knowing that Céline would suffer the most of her
departure; Thérèse kept reiterating to her that she would always be there at her side in spirit.
Every time Céline brought up the subject of her impending death, Thérèse would reaffirm to
Céline that she would be there. For example, on the same day, Thérèse hummed some verses
to her: “She is mine, she whom Heaven itself, the entire Heaven has come to delight me. She
is mine, I love her, oh! Yes, I love her and nothing can ever separate us.” (LC)

In their continued conversation on the same day, Céline explains to Thérèse and tells her that
“God will not be able to take me immediately after your death because I won’t be good enough.”
(LC) But Thérèse disagrees with her logic and gives Céline an example of what happened with
St. Joseph Cupertino and his three companions when they requested to enter the priesthood.
Thus Thérèse states to Céline, I will be there to speak for you on your behalf and God will give
you the same as he has given to me. “We will be like two little ducks; you know how closely
they follow each other!” “How sad I would be if I were to see anyone but you on God’s other
knee; I would cry all day long!” (LC) A few weeks after her death, Céline was meditating on
these same words when she was in choir, did Thérèse ever get to sit on God’s knee?
Immediately after the thought had passed through her mind, the words were uttered by the
choir - “Haec facta est mihi…” (This has been done to me.) (LC)

On July 21st, Thérèse’s death was always on Céline’s mind, there wasn’t a minute in the day
where either the subject was not thought of or spoken about. Thérèse reaffirmed to Céline:
“In Heaven, you will take your place at my side! And then I will place on you sky-blue wings
of a rosy cherub.” (LC)

On July 22nd, in an effort to comfort Thérèse of her impending death, Céline read a passage
on the happiness of Heaven. While Céline was reading it, Thérèse stopped her from going any
further by telling Céline that it was not what attracted her to Heaven. Céline responded by saying,
“Okay, what attracts your soul to Heaven?” “It’s love!” “To love, to be loved, and to return
to the earth to make love loved…” (LC)

As Thérèse continually coughed up blood, she still tried to keep a positive outlook on it, even
though Céline found it harder to watch. Céline wanted to go with Thérèse to Heaven, both of
them together but as Céline saw it, there was no sign of her own impending death. But then
Thérèse said to her: “Oh! Yes, you have a sign! My death is a sign of yours!” (LC)

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.

Holy Cards

Prayers

Devotion

Prayer Petition

Beatification Prayer

Intercession Prayers

Directory

Sub Directory

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

Sub Directory

Mother Agnes of Jesus

Monasteries

Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart

Links

Contact Us

Sister Francoise-Therese

Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face

Terms and Conditions

St. Therese of the Child Jesus

Site Map

Webmaster

Start of StatCounter Code -->

Holy Cards

Short Video Clips

Booklets

Photos

Martin Sisters

Multimedia

Connections

Communications

P rayer Petitions

D evotion

"It is the nature of children to live in humility and dependence, to have a simple spirit and a tender gratitude for the
least favors, to accept without arguing what the father of the family prescribes just as it is also the virtue to
fear nothing when they are under their father's (God's) protection." - Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face

Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face

S�ur Genevi�ve de la Sainte Face - C�line Martin

"Beloved Holy Face"

Born:
Country:
Providence:
County:
City:

Died:
Country:
Providence:
County:
City:

Venerated at:

First Holy
Communion:

Entrance
into the monastery:


Patronage:

Download Centre

Biography
Intercession Prayers
Intercession Prayers E-Booklet

Eric Gaba (Wikimedia Commons user: Sting)

April 28, 1869
France
Lower Normandy
Orne
Alençon

February 25, 1959
France
Lower Normandy
Calvados
Lisieux

Carmelite Monastery
in Lisieux

March 13, 1880
The Benedictine Chapel
at the Benedictine Abbey
in Lisieux

September 14, 1894
Carmelite Monastery in
Lisieux

Alzheimer's Disease
Attention Deficit Disorder
Bi-Polar Disorder
Brain Cancer
Creutzfeldt-Jakob
Disease (CJD)
Hurler-Scheie Disease
(Mucopolysaccharidosis 1)
I-Cell Disease
(Mucolipidosis II)
Infantile Neuronal Ceroid
Lipofuscinosis (INCL)
Lissencephaly
Lymphocytic Leukemia
(Lymphoma)
Metachromatic
Leukodystrophy (MLD)
Mucolipidosis IV
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Pseudomyxoma
Schindler's Disease
Takayasu's Arteritis (TA)
Thyroid Cancer

Page IV

FAST TRAC

Receive yours today!
>>

Add yours Today!
>>

In Need of a Prayer?
>>

Portrait

R Hann