Mother Agnès of Jesus, OCD
(Marie-Pauline Martin)

On September 7, 1861, Marie-Pauline Martin entered into the world with beautiful brown hair and brown eyes in her parent's home on rue du Pont-Neuf in Alençon, France. At the birth, of each child, Azélie would pray: "Lord, grant the grace that this child may be consecrated to you, and that nothing may tarnish the purity of its soul. If ever it would be lost, I prefer that you should take it without delay." Little Pauline resembled her mother both in personality and in looks. She became the second-born child of nine children of Louis and Azélie Martin. Louis and Azélie honored each of their children with the first name of Marie in honor of Our Lady and honored each male child with the additional name of Joseph in honor of St Joseph. The children's second name was given after their godparents. Pauline's godfather was her uncle Isidore Guérin and her godmother was Pauline Romet, a close family friend in Alençon. The blessed day arrived on September 8, 1861 when Pauline was carried in her mother's arms to the Cathedral of St Pierre-de-Montsort and baptized by Fr Lebouc.

Before Marie-Louise and Pauline went to bed, their parents would read to them the lives of the saints. They were promoting, instilling and fostering in them the spirit of faith showing them that the things the world offered to them was simply vain. Louis and Azélie always stressed the importance to them that they should, "Obey through love, always try to please the dear Jesus, and most importantly to make small sacrifices for Him." Her mother started preparations for both Marie and Pauline to attend the Visitation boarding school in Le Mans. Sister Marie Dosithée, Azélie's sister, was instrumental in getting Marie and Pauline admitted into the boarding school. Through the years, the boarding school became a very popular place among the elite, in France, for sending their children. It was the perfect place for the Martin children to go there because Sister Marie-Dosithée was there to keep a close eye on them. On July 2, 1874, dressed in her beautiful white gown and veil, Pauline walked down the aisle to receive her First Holy Communion. Her family surrounded her at the Visitation Chapel in Le Mans as she consecrated herself to God.

Pauline was the first of their children to exhibit any interest in becoming a nun. Her aspiration was to become a Visitation nun like her aunt. Pauline developed a love for painting, using the attic as her studio; she painted several watercolors, which her father had framed. He placed a couple of them in the Pavilion. One of her paintings at the Pavilion was of a fish that Louis once caught. When Louis went on trips, he would bring her back some shells, ivory or parchment so that she could paint little miniatures on them. She also spent time learning to sew and do needlework.

Soon, October of 1876, came and things would change for the worst. It was Pauline's last year as a student at the Visitation boarding school. By December, it was widely known that her aunt, Sister Marie-Dosithée, whom contracted tuberculosis, was very sick. In addition, Pauline was to find out that her mother was suffering from breast cancer. On February 24, 1877, Pauline's holy aunt, Sr Marie Dosithée, took her last breath. The Martin family arrived by train to Le Mans to pay their last loving respects. Her funeral was conducted in the Visitation Chapel and her body was then laid to rest at the monestery.

By the time summer arrived in 1877, the state of Azélie's health worsened and had reached to the reality that only a cure from God was her only avenue of staying alive. Previously, she had sought out doctors to cure her of her cancer, but all of them told her it was too late for a cure. She decided that she would make a pilgrimage to Lourdes. Pauline was so convinced that by going to Lourdes that this was the miracle they were seeking. But her mother cautioned Pauline by saying: "We must prepare ourselves to be ready to accept generously the will of God, whatever that may be." Pauline became very distraught over the realization that her "best friend" was going to die. On August 1, 1877, Pauline completed her studies at the Visitation boarding school. The celebration and the awards she received were somewhat bittersweet. She was leaving behind the beloved memories of her "surrogate mother" who passed away just months prior. It was also hard to say farewell to her childhood friends and to head home to help her mother die. Once Pauline arrived back home she assisted Marie in preparing Léonie, Céline and Thérèse in their studies. It was of great concern for Pauline's mother to have all of her children properly educated. She tasked this responsibility onto Marie and Pauline. Realizing that their mother would never see the rest of her daughters complete their education, Marie and Pauline put on an awards ceremony for her. It was their way for their mother to celebrate with them on the future completion of their schooling.

As the end of August approached, the physical pain from Azélie's cancer spread throughout her body. The pain became unbearable for her to move even an inch without crying out to God. As Pauline sat beside her mother, she grabbed and kissed Pauline's hand and then pointed to her sisters. Azélie signaled to Pauline that she was relinquishing all of her responsibility as a mother over to her. As night approached on the August 28, Pauline escorted her two little sisters, Céline and Thérèse, to their room to go to bed. Azélie's painful departure from this world would soon follow around midnight. Just after her mother's soul ascended to Heaven, Pauline's uncle Isidore went outside at the back of the house and called out to Pauline at her bedroom window. Answering her uncle's call, he told her in a low voice that her mother just died. Pauline decided not to wake her little sisters up and waited until the morning to tell them.

On August 29, 1877, the family escorted their mother's body to the Cathedral and then onto the Cimetière Notre Dame (Our Lady's cemetery) in Alençon. The family's maid saw them and gave them her sympathies for their mother's suffering. She said to them: "You poor little girls, you have no mother." Thérèse then leaped into Pauline's arms and said to Pauline that she will be her mother.

Before Azélie's death, she suggested to Louis, that he should consider moving to Lisieux to be closer to her family. So, Louis and the children focused their eyes on Lisieux so that they would be closer to their cousins. Pauline's father discussed it with her and Marie about making the move to Lisieux. He conceded to both of his daughter's desires for a new change in scenery. After a long search, their uncle found them a place live. Pauline continued painting her miniatures and portraits which were admired by her family for its fine detail. Pauline also was very good in sewing and she took upon herself to make an alb for Fr Ducellier, whom was her spiritual director at that time. She embroidered it with fine guipure lace.

In the evenings, Pauline would place Thérèse on her knees and take out a religious book and read it to her. After reading the book, there would be a multitude of questions that Thérèse would ask her. In one particular instance, Thérèse was concerned that each person's good deeds, whether they were large or small, would not share the grace of God's glory equally. Pauline asked her to bring out her father's drinking glass and also a thimble. Pauline filled both of them up and asked Thérèse to compare each of them to see which one was fuller. Thérèse responded back that both of the containers were equally full. Pauline stressed to her the point that each person regardless of their stature in society will receive the same grace of God's glory equally. There is no reason to be envious of another human being regardless of what they have done or how much they have done for the grace of God's glory.

Pauline received a revelation that she is not to enter the Visitation and will become a Carmelite nun. Acting on this revelation, Pauline made frequent visits to the Carmelite monastery in Lisieux to speak to the prioress about entering into their Order. On October 2, 1882, Pauline entered the Carmelite monastery as a postulant. Louis, uncle Isidore and Marie escorted her to the Carmelite chapel for Mass. After Mass was over, Pauline said goodbye to her family and then was greeted at the cloister door by Mother Geneviève. Escorted by one of the sisters, she was given a tour of the monastery. She then was taken up to her new cell where she changed her clothes and dawned on "a long blue dress covered with a black cape and a dark bonnet." The initiation in the traditions of the Carmelite Order had commenced for Pauline. Later that day, she was given the opportunity to see her younger sisters Céline and Thérèse for about thirty minutes while she was positioned behind the grille in the reception area.

A mysterious illness came upon Thérèse, lasting for several months after Pauline's entry. It was thought by the family that she would not be able to attend Pauline's Clothing ceremony in April. But Thérèse regained her strength enough to be there at her sister's ceremony. Later, Thérèse remarked about her mysterious illness during this time stating that it was caused by the devil himself. The devil did not want Pauline to enter the Carmelite monastery and was angry over the future reprisals that the Martin family would inflict on him.

Within the next few years, Marie and Thérèse would join her at Carmel in Lisieux, while Léonie entered the Visitation. On February 20, 1893, elections for a new prioress commenced, Pauline won the majority of the votes to lead her Carmelite sisters as their new mother. Pauline's new religious name became Mother Agnes of Jesus. But Pauline was never known as just "Mother Agnes" by her Carmelite sisters, her nickname, was "Ma petite mère" (my little mother) or "La petite mère" (the little mother). They nicked named her that because Pauline was very thin and short in stature that most of her Carmelite sisters were taller than her. With the passing of their father, Céline entered the Carmelite monastery on September 14, 1894. In 1896, Pauline lost the re-election for Prioress to Mother Marie de Gonzague. During the second week of May 1897, Pauline wrote Thérèse a short note to simply ask her for an opportunity to speak with her. Thérèse had been showing signs of her illness to everyone but the severity of her illness was not to the extent that indicated to Pauline that she was suffering from tuberculosis. Pauline started to worry about her because Thérèse had been keeping her distance from her sister. By the 30th of May the time had come where the severity of Thérèse's illness could no longer be hidden. Pauline was worried because Thérèse's health was declining at a fast rate. She approached Thérèse and found out discreetly from her that she had coughed up blood in April of last year. Pauline realized then that she was severely ill. Pauline was not aware that it was tuberculosis that was going to take her sister's life. Pauline was hurt by realization that Thérèse was going to die! She was devastated by the news. She could not understand why Thérèse never told her. Thérèse was never given permission from Mother Marie de Gonzague to tell her herself.

After a brief conversation on June 2, 1897, Mother Marie de Gonzague gave Pauline permission to stay with Thérèse at night in her cell. Pauline also suggested to Mother Marie to have Thérèse to write the second manuscript about her life as a Carmelite nun so that they would have something for her obituary letter after her death. The same day, Pauline approached Thérèse and told her that she was not allowed to die. Pauline's heart was still pierced by the fact that she was severely ill. Thérèse explained to Pauline that it's not that she wanted to leave her "little mother" but it was God who was calling her home. On September 29, Thérèse was in her final hours of suffering. On September 30, Pauline got up and left for the infirmary, she stayed with Thérèse while Mass was being held in the Chapel and tried to console her while she was battling periods of suffocation. Pauline told her how much she loved her and what a blessing she was to her throughout her life. At 7:20pm, Thérèse passed away and later that night Pauline, Marie and Sister Aimee of Jesus prepared Thérèse's body for her funeral. Pauline wanted to keep Thérèse's clothing intact and asked her if she would purchase her clothing so that it would not be burned or given away to another sister. Unfortunately, Thérèse's sandals were not spared and they were burned by mistake by another sister. Mother Marie de Gonzague allowed Léonie to buy the remaining articles of her clothing from the Carmelite monastery.

After another Prioress election, Pauline won and in 1904, Mother Marie de Gonzague was diagnosed with tongue cancer. On December 17th, she looked up at Pauline and said, "I have offended God more than anyone else in the community. I should not hope to be saved if I did not have my little Thérèse to intercede for me." Sister Marie of the Eucharist was Pauline's first cousin. She, too, had entered the Carmelite monastery of Lisieux in 1895. All of the Martin sisters were very close to the Guérin family especially after their father, Louis Martin, died. Sadly, in 1905, the doctor who examined Sister Marie revealed the fatal news to Pauline. She had tuberculosis. Like Pauline's sister Thérèse, their cousin had contracted the same fatal disease; it was as if history was repeating itself yet again.

In December of 1939, Marie's lungs had filled with fluid. 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. It was very hard on Pauline because both of them had been through so much together starting from their childhood while they were at the Visitation boarding school and then as nuns at the Carmelite monastery. Pauline and Céline spent several hours a day at her bedside while she suffered. On January 19, 1940 her last audible words in front of her sisters were, "I love thee" as she kissed her crucifix, before she breathed her last breath. As the 1950s were approaching, Pauline's physical condition worsened with time and depended on Céline and her Carmelite sisters. On July 28, 1951, just minutes leading up to her death, she made every attempt to pray aloud the prayer, which she often recited herself: "Jesus, meek and humble at heart make my heart unto thine." After her last agony, witnessed by her Carmelite sisters, Pauline's soul ascended to Heaven. Céline as well as her other sisters prepared their 'little mother' for her viewing and her funeral. Her body was placed in the choir of the Carmelite chapel to be viewed by many that had come from around the world to pay their respects.

On August 1, 1951, Bishop Picaud conducted the funeral Mass for Pauline. After the Mass ended in the Carmelite chapel, her body was then taken to the vault and placed beside her sister Marie who was already interned there.