A Sister of St. Thérèse: Servant of God, Léonie Martin – Bearer of Hope with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Episode 2
In this episode, we hear a little more about her younger sister, Marie Hélène, who died at the age of 5, as well three other siblings, Joseph Louis, Joseph Jean-Baptiste, and Marie Mélanie-Thérèse, who all died during infancy. We then begin to experience the challenges of Leonie’s education and the ability to interact with others appropriately. What is the family to do? How can her challenges be addressed in love?
We also here more from Leonie’s loving aunt, Zélie’s sister, Elise, now known as Sister Marie-Dosithée, a member the Visitation Sisters.
Fr. Gallagher says, “Léonie’s life holds a very important 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.
