Marie Leonie Martin’s process for canonization was officially started on July 2, 2015. An older sister of St. Therese of Lisieux, Leonie was born on June 3, 1863, in Alencon, and was baptized the next day.

Leonie’s physical health was very poor. Her mother, Marie-Azelie (Zelie), told her sister, Sister Marie-Dosithée (a Visitation nun), about the illnesses of her daughter. Sister Marie-Dosithée wrote to Azelie suggesting that she make a novena to St. Margaret Mary, then blessed, for a cure for Leonie’s illnesses.

Azelie made a novena to then-Bl. Margaret Mary and made this statement during her novena: “If Leonie is to become a saint one day, then cure her.” After the novena Leonie’s condition improved. 

When Leonie got older, Azelie, through the influence of Sister Marie-Dosithée, sent Leonie to the Visitation boarding school in Le Mans where her two older sisters were already studying. However, Leonie was sent home due to her resistance to learning and her sudden outbursts. Sister Marie-Dosithée felt that even though it was difficult to teach Leonie, she felt that Leonie was a “child of destiny.” She also thought that one day Leonie would become a nun in the Visitation convent.

After being tutored by two retired teachers for a little while, Azelie decided to take upon the task of teaching Leonie herself and also teaching her the Catechism for her First Holy Communion.

Leonie spent a lot of time alone in her bedroom and a lot of time with the maid, Louise Marais. Leonie’s family suspected something was bothering her but they could not figure out what it was. Leonie’s behaviour would change drastically from being a pleasant child to being an unruly child.

In the fall of 1876, Azelie found out that her sister had tuberculosis. In December of the same year, Azelie told her family that she had breast cancer. In January 1877, Azelie went to visit Sister Marie-Dosithée for the last time. Azelie asked her sister when she went to heaven to ask Our Lady for help correcting Leonie’s behaviour.

Leonie wanted to write a letter to Sister Marie-Dosithée before she died. Leonie wrote: “My dear Aunt, when you get to heaven, will you please ask the good God, if He pleases, to give me the grace to be converted and also to give me the vocation of becoming a true religious, for I think of that every day.”

Leonie’s older sister, Marie, asked what she meant about being a “true religious.” Leonie replied: “A true religious is one who becomes a saint and I wish to become a saint.”

On Feb. 24, 1877, Sister Marie-Dosithée died. A couple of weeks later, the secret of Leonie’s behaviour finally began coming to the surface. Marie, the older sister of Leonie, noticed that Leonie was very good when she was around the maid, Louise, but very bad when she was around her mother.

Marie investigated and discovered that Louise had gained total control over Leonie and was terrorizing and beating her. The only person that Leonie was to obey was Louise. After learning the truth, Azelie forbade Louise to have any contact with Leonie.

Once the secret had surfaced, Leonie’s behaviour quickly changed for the better. Azelie and Leonie’s relationship blossomed beautifully. Azelie described to her brother: “I cannot help thinking that this transformation is due to the prayers of our saintly sister, for all was altered two to three weeks after her death. It is she who has obtained for me the grace to know how to act so as to win Leonie’s affections, and I hope God will let me finish my task, which is far from being completed as yet.”

Azelie taught Leonie about “gentleness, kindness, and then detachment from pleasure, the determination to give pleasure, no matter at what cost to the good Jesus.”

                                                   聖善姨母為萊奧妮祈禱

2015年7月2日瑪利亞.萊奧妮.馬爾定的宣聖調查程序正式開始。她是聖女小德蘭其中一位姐姐。1863年6月3日出生在阿朗松的萊奧妮，翌日即接受洗禮。

對自小體弱多病的萊奧妮，母親薛妮曾對當聖母往見會修女的姐姐、瑪麗.杜燮婷表示極其擔心。杜燮婷修女建議她向真福瑪嘉利大.瑪利亞（後來被宣聖）做九日敬禮，讓女兒萊奧妮得保健康。薛妮在做九日敬禮期間，曾對這位真福說過：「如果萊奧妮一朝能成聖人的話，請讓她病癒過來。」九日敬禮過後，萊奧妮健康漸有進展。

藉瑪麗.杜燮婷修女幫助，薛妮在萊奧妮稍長時，把她送到聖母往見會位於勒芒學校，跟兩位姐姐一起寄宿學習。不過，萊奧妮抗拒學習，甚至脾性火爆，被學校送返家。杜燮婷修女雖知道這姨甥女難於教導，但感到她是「主給她另有安排」，而且亦認為有日，她會成為聖母往見會修女。

嘗試過兩名的私人老師授課後，薛妮決定親自在家教授萊奧妮，包括教授她要理，準備初領聖體。

母親教授時間外，萊奧妮不是躲在房間裡，就是和褓姆露詩.瑪麗斯一起。不過，萊奧妮的舉止仍然有異，性情變壞。1876年秋，薛妮知道姐姐杜燮婷修女患上肺病，年度又得悉自己患有乳癌。1877年1月薛妮最後一次往訪姐姐杜燮婷修女，並請她死後見到聖母，求她使萊奧妮改善行為。

萊奧妮希望在姨母死前，給她寫一封信；內容：「親愛的姨母，當你到了天堂，請你為我祈求萬善的天主，如果祂喜歡，就賜我聖寵，讓我皈化，也賞我聖召，使我成為真正的修道人 ── 因為我每天都在這樣想著。」姐姐瑪利亞問她何謂「真正的修道人」，萊奧妮答道：「真正的修道人就是成為聖人。我想成為聖人。」

1877年2月24日姨母杜燮婷修女病逝；數星期後，萊奧妮的怪異行為成因被發現了：姐姐瑪利亞觀察到萊奧妮與褓姆露詩.瑪麗斯一起時很聽話，但和母親一起時卻很暴燥。她最後發現原來褓姆絕對地控制萊奧妮，並恐嚇和打她，使她完全屈服並只能聽從褓姆 。母親薛妮立刻不讓褓姆再和萊奧妮相處。果然，萊奧妮的情緒和行為有了顯著的改善，母女之間的關係有如鮮花綻放。薛妮向兄弟寫信說：「我不能不想萊奧妮的改變，是因為我們聖善姐姐的祈禱。她死後兩三星期，一切都改變了。是她為我求得聖寵，讓我知道應怎樣作來贏得萊奧妮的愛。我希望天主能使我完成我的任務，這任務距離完成還是很遠。」

薛妮教導萊奧妮關於「溫和、仁愛、不追求享樂，決心要不惜代價地去中悅好耶穌」。