The Life and Lessons of St. Zélie Martin

Gilda Rose Kalathil reviews a new biography of Saint Zélie Martin, by Catholic Mom contributor Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur.

If you are looking at finding a snapshot of the life of St. Zélie, then The Life and Lessons of St. Zélie Martin by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur is for you. This book is a lovely short read that takes us through the life of St. Zélie, from birth to wanting to join religious life to meeting her spouse St. Louis Martin, her career as a lacemaker and her many challenges with the birth and death of her children and close ones. It also lets us in a little bit about the relationship between St. Zélie and St. Louise Martin. 

The author, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur, has a lovely storytelling style and accentuates her writing with relevant quotes from the saint. In ten concise chapters, you get an easy glimpse into a complicated life journey. It shows St. Zélie as very human in her response to tragedies. There is grief, pain, worry, and anxiety—and with it, is a strong faith and surrender to God’s will. 

The Life and Lessons of St. Zélie Martin is a good read for mothers. The loss of children, struggles with breast feeding, feeling helpless with a child with disabilities, feeling overwhelmed with work, and having a chronic disease are so very relatable. For adolescents, St. Zélie as a working mother is a contemporary perspective on becoming a saint. The language of the book also allows it to be read aloud to children.  

The Life and Lessons of St. Zélie Martin ends with the lessons we can learn from St. Zélie’s life. The one that struck me most is that one doesn’t need to be perfect to be a saint. Often, we look at saints as if they were perfect humans able to resist temptation, be strong through trials, and happily accept God’s will, yet in St. Zélie we see another woman like us. And that gives us the hope and perseverance to pursue sainthood. 

Copyright 2023 Gilda Rose Kalathil
Images: Canva