For Valentine’s Day, meet 5 married couples who are saints
For Valentine’s Day, meet 5 married couples who are saints
Catholics and individuals globally link St. Valentine’s celebration with affection and passion. Below are five couples who are saints today as they expressed a calling of love for one another — and for God.
1. Saints Louis Martin and Marie-Azélie Guérin (Zélie)
Pope Francis canonized the French pair Louis Martin (1823-94) and Zélie Guérin (1831-77) in 2015. Louis, a watchmaker, along with Zélie, a lacemaker, sought to join religious life before deciding on marriage. They are likely most recognized for being the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, their youngest child.
St. Thérèse was one of nine offspring welcomed by the Martins; four passed away in early childhood, while the remaining five — all females — entered religious communities.
The journey of the couple towards sanctity reflects the “little way” that St. Thérèse is renowned for — performing minor acts with profound love.
“The blessed couple Louis Martin and Marie-Azélie Guérin carried out their Christian duties within the family, cultivating daily an atmosphere of love and faith that fostered the callings of their daughters,” Pope Francis remembered during their canonization.
Their celebration day is July 12.
2. Saints Aquila and Priscilla
Sts. Aquila and Priscilla played a significant part in the early Christian community. The Jewish tentmakers who embraced Christianity moved to Corinth following their exile from Rome. During their time in Corinth, they met St. Paul, another tentmaker whom they invited into their residence.
The Christian couple from the first century is mentioned several times in the Bible due to their steadfast testimony.
“Salute Prisca and Aquila, my fellow laborers in Christ Jesus, who jeopardized their lives for me, to whom I am not only thankful but also all the churches among the Gentiles,” St. Paul states in Romans 16:3-4.
Acts 18 shows that the two saints traveled with St. Paul from Corinth to Syria and subsequently to Ephesus, where they taught others about “the way of God.”
They additionally transformed their residence into a church for the nearby Christian community, where they collectively read the Scriptures and observed the Eucharist.
From their illustration, Pope Benedict XVI stated in 2007, the believers can understand how “each household can change itself in[to] a small church.”
In certain traditions, they are considered to have died as martyrs. Their celebration day falls on July 8.
3. Mary and Saint Joseph
Catholics venerate Sts. Mary and Joseph as the guardians of Jesus. During their existence, they consistently affirmed “yes” to God’s design — from Mary agreeing to become the Mother of God to Joseph, a carpenter, accepting Mary as his spouse after an angel appeared to him.
The solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, is January 1. The celebration of St. Joseph’s feast day occurs on March 19.
4. Saints Joachim and Anne
Sts. Joachim and Anne are venerated as the parents of Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. Although their narrative is not found in the Scriptures, tradition recognizes them as a devout, virtuous couple who faced the challenge of barrenness before they were blessed with the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Their celebration day is July 26.
5. Saints Zechariah and Elizabeth
Sts. Zechariah and Elizabeth are the revered parents of St. John the Baptist. The pair also faced difficulties in having offspring until the angel Gabriel visited Zechariah and assured them of a son in their later years.
When Zechariah showed skepticism towards the angel, he lost his ability to speak until after the birth of his son, at which point he affirmed in writing that his son’s name was John. His first words were expressions of admiration for the Divine.
Prior to delivering her baby, Elizabeth has a visit from her cousin, Mary, as they are both expecting. Nowadays, Catholics echo her greeting in the “Hail Mary” prayer: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”
The couple’s celebration day is November 5.
Bonus: Blessed Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi and Maria Corsini
Luigi (1880-1951), an attorney, and Maria (1884-1965), a catechist, are the inaugural couple to be beatified jointly by the Catholic Church. They raised four children in their household, three of whom embraced consecrated religious life.
When medical professionals advised them to opt for abortion for their youngest, Enrica, because of pregnancy issues, they declined. Today, she is also on the path to sainthood.
The duo experienced “a typical existence in an exceptional manner,” Pope St. John Paul II said in their 2001 beatification, which involved nurturing a profound spiritual existence.
“At the heart of their existence was the daily Eucharist along with devotion to the Virgin Mary, to whom they prayed each evening using the Rosary, and guidance from knowledgeable spiritual directors,” he stated.
He stated that their example acts as a motivation for everyone.
“Dear families, today we have clear affirmation that the journey of holiness experienced together as a couple is attainable, beautiful, exceptionally fruitful, and essential for the well-being of the family, the Church, and society,” he expressed. “This encourages us to beseech the Lord for the emergence of many more married couples who can manifest in the sanctity of their lives, the ‘great mystery’ of marital love, which begins in creation and finds its fulfillment in the union of Christ with his Church.”
Katie Yoder is a contributing editor for Our Sunday Visitor.
