Why pilgrims come
Discover what makes Basilica of Notre-Dame d’Alençon and St. Thérèse’s Baptistery a place of pilgrimage
The living Catholic basilica where Louis and Zélie Martin married in 1858 and their daughter Thérèse was baptized on January 4, 1873. The baptistery preserves the font used for her baptism, her baptismal robe, and a commemorative plaque; published copies of the baptismal act should not be confused with a verified permanent display of the original parish register.
Continue from the family home to the sacramental heart of the Martin story. Here Louis and Zélie were married, and here their youngest daughter received baptism two days after her birth.
The sacred connection
People and objects remembered here
These relationships are part of the destination record, with feast days and catalog qualifications shown where available.
church and font of her baptism on January 4, 1873
Feast: October 1church of his marriage to St. Zélie Martin in 1858
Feast: July 12church of her marriage to St. Louis Martin in 1858
Feast: July 12What to notice
Look closely at the place and its story
Thérèse’s baptismal font
Pray where Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin was baptized on January 4, 1873.
The baptismal robe
See a personal object connecting the sacrament to the Martin family’s documented history.
The marriage of Louis and Zélie
Honor the vocation that formed the family in the church where the couple married in 1858.
Feasts, anniversaries & celebrations
How to read this page
Sources, tradition, and what is verified
The destination record was last checked on 9/7/2026.
This page records the site’s tradition as “Catholic.” That wording describes the nature of the claim and keeps devotional tradition distinct from independently verified history.
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