Louis and Zelie Martin lived in the small Norman town of Alencon, France, Where their ninth child Therese was born on January 2, 1873. Four years later the Martin family moved to Les Buissonnets, a country villa outside Lisieux. Therese’ sister Pauline entered the Carmelite Monastery of Lisieux in 1882, and in 1886 a second sister, Marie, entered the same convent. On April 9, 1888, the fifteen-year-old Therese entered the Carmel of Lisieux. For the remaining nine years of her life, Therese remained with her sisters at the Carmelite Monastery. In 1895 Therese started writing the story of her life. After her death on September 30, 1897 the autobiography Therese had written was published by the Carmel of Lisieux. The book soon became world famous as a masterpiece in spiritual literature. Therese was declared a saint by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925 and her feast day is kept on October 1.